The CDF, Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba recently inspecting the UPDF headquarters construction being handled by the army’s engineering division
HABARI DAILY I Kampala, Uganda I The Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) Egineering Brigade has capacity to handle large-scale infrastructure projects in Uganda, the army leadership has said.
The brigade has previously successfully undertaken high-profile assignments such as the Mandela National Stadium (Namboole) renovations and works at Entebbe International Airport, and is currently renovating the Posta Uganda building along Kampala Road, among other big projects.
The UPDF construction arm is increasingly favored by the government for delivering quality work efficiently, reducing costs, and saving billions in consultancy fees compared to private contractors.
Col Chris Magezi, the UPDF acting spokesperson says that critics who doubt the army’s capacity to handle major infrastructure work are simply “not informed.”
“The doubters, if they are there anyway, are not informed and they have not gone out of their way to find out more about the UPDF Engineering Brigade,” he told members of the press recently.
Speaking on the UPDF’s contribution beyond security, Magezi said the Engineering Brigade has gone far beyond stadium works, taking on roads, drainage systems, hospitals and schools across the country.
He noted that the military has already repaired several badly damaged roads in Kampala and improved drainage channels in flood-prone areas, describing the works as part of a broader push to improve public infrastructure.
Magezi added that the brigade has also renovated some of Uganda’s largest referral hospitals, while building new Health Centre IIs, IIIs and IVs in different districts in partnership with government ministries.
The UPDF, he said, has also worked closely with the Ministry of Education and Sports to construct secondary schools at sub-county level, helping expand access to education in under-served communities.
Beyond construction, Magezi highlighted the role of Operation Wealth Creation, another UPDF-linked initiative that has supported farmers through seed distribution and advisory services.
“Today Uganda is producing in surplus almost everything we produce, from cereals to bananas to milk to beef and other agricultural products,” he said.
He further pointed to the work of the National Enterprise Corporation (NEC), the commercial arm of the UPDF, saying its investment in manufacturing—including the Kira Motors vehicle plant—shows the army’s ability to deliver on large-scale national projects.
“We’ve demonstrated ourselves that there’s nothing we cannot do, and we have the commitment to do it well and even at scale,” Magezi said.
The remarks come amid public debate over the UPDF’s expanding role in civilian infrastructure and economic development.
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