Gen. Katumba Wamala (L), is among the retirees, at a function expected to be presided over by President Museveni (R)
HABARI DAILY I Kampala, Uganda I The country removes its hut for the garrant sons of the soil, a long-standing military expression suggesting that when senior commanders leave active service, the institution must make room for a new generation of officers to take charge.
That transition is now unfolding in the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Force (UPDF), with 1,591 personnel, including some of the country’s most senior military commanders, cleared for retirement this month in one of the force’s latest major active-service exit exercises.
According to Col. Chris Magezi, the Acting Director of Defence Public Information, the retirement exercise, which will be marked by a colourful function to be held this Wednesday, October 13th 2026, covers personnel across virtually every level of the military hierarchy, from generals to junior soldiers.
The retirement list includes 19 general officers, 222 senior officers, 205 junior officers and 1,364 other soldiers serving in different formations and units across the country.
Katumba among generals leaving
Among the most prominent names on the retirement list is Gen. Katumba Wamala, the former Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) and current Minister for Works and Transport.
Katumba, who rose through the ranks of the UPDF to become one of its longest-serving senior commanders, is joined by several other high-ranking officers whose departure will mark a significant generational change within the military establishment.
They include Lt. Gen. Charles Awany Otema, Lt. Gen. Charles Angina, Maj. Gen. Godfrey Katsigazi Tumusiime, Maj. Gen. Henry Ndarubweine Masiko, Maj. Gen. Apolo Kasiita Gowa, Maj. Gen. Leopold Kyanda and Maj. Gen. Abel Kandiho, among others.
The 222 senior officers, whose ranks range from Major to Colonel, are scheduled to receive their ceremonial send-off on August 12 at the Joint Services Headquarters in Mbuya.
The UPDF said the ceremony for the general officers will be held separately, with the date to be communicated later.
A changing military hierarchy
The departure of the generals comes at a time when the UPDF is undergoing a broader transition aimed at maintaining what the military describes as a professional, disciplined and modern force.
The retirement of senior commanders creates room for officers in the lower ranks to rise through the hierarchy, assume greater responsibilities and potentially reshape the leadership of the army.
The UPDF has over the years expanded its responsibilities beyond conventional national defence, participating in regional peacekeeping and security operations, including missions in East Africa.
The army says the retirement ceremonies are intended to honour personnel for their contribution to Uganda’s security rather than simply mark the end of their careers.
According to the UPDF, the ceremonies celebrate the “courage, discipline and devotion” of both senior commanders and junior cadres who served the country.
Preparing soldiers for civilian life
But while the focus has largely been on the high-ranking generals, the retirement exercise also presents a major transition for the hundreds of officers and soldiers leaving military service.
Ahead of the send-off, the UPDF has been conducting financial literacy training for the outgoing personnel to prepare them for life outside the military.
Speaking during one of the sessions at Mbuya Military Headquarters, Maj. Gen. James Kinalwa, representing the Chief of Joint Staff, cautioned retirees against assuming that the financial conditions they enjoyed in active service would continue after retirement.
“You have been used to a monthly salary, subsistence allowances, office benefits and out-of-pocket facilitation, which may no longer be available once you leave the army,” Kinalwa warned.
He urged the retirees to establish sustainable sources of income and carefully manage their assets, warning against selling property because of poor financial planning.
Retirement as new recruitment gathers pace
The mass retirement is taking place alongside efforts to replenish the force.
Last month, the UPDF launched a recruitment exercise targeting more than 10,000 new soldiers, signalling an attempt to balance the departure of experienced personnel with the entry of younger recruits.
Under UPDF regulations, generals and lieutenant generals retire at 65, while the mandatory retirement age for major generals is 62.
The latest exercise therefore represents both the natural exit of officers who have reached the end of their prescribed service period and a deliberate attempt to refresh the military’s leadership and manpower structure.
For Katumba and the other generals, the retirement marks the closing of another chapter in careers that have shaped Uganda’s military establishment for decades.
For the UPDF, however, the larger challenge will be ensuring that the institutional knowledge, experience and discipline accumulated by the outgoing commanders are successfully passed on to the officers taking their places.
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