The Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba has emphasised the importance of global power being shared among numerous countries, saying it presents a significant advantage for Africa’s future.

Speaking at a lecture organised to honour former CDF Gen Aronda Nyakairima, Gen Kainerugaba argued that the continent’s historical challenges such as slavery and colonisation arose when global power was concentrated solely in the West. “A bipolar or multipolar world, where power is shared by Asian and Euro-Asian nations, is very good for Africa,” he remarked.

Gen Kainerugaba explained that during Africa’s colonisation, European powers dominated the world stage, and it was their collective imperialist agenda that led to the subjugation of African nations.

However, the eventual decolonisation of Africa occurred in a bipolar world, with the rise of the Soviet Union and China playing a crucial role in Africa’s liberation struggles. “Without the rise of the Soviet Union and China, Africa would have faced greater challenges in unshackling herself from colonial bondage,” he noted.

The CDF, hailed the emergence of BRICS a coalition of major non-Western economies as a representation of the new multipolar world and the rise of the global south. “Both are very good things for Africa,” he said, adding that the solidarity within the global south is essential for achieving the continent’s political and economic empowerment.

Gen Kainerugaba’s lecture, titled The Impact of a Multipolar World on Africa’s Security Posture, was followed by a panel discussion moderated by former Inspector General of Police, Gen Kale Kayihura. The panel included Maj Gen (Rtd) Nathan Mugisha, Prof Phillip Kasaija, and Lydia Wanyoto.

In a separate session, Gen (Rtd) Salim Saleh, speaking via Zoom, discussed the military’s role in Uganda’s socioeconomic transformation, specifically through the UPDF’s Operation Wealth Creation. He joked about his absence from the event, saying he couldn’t come to debate Gen Ivan Koreta, who was his teacher. Gen Koreta shared a panel with Secretary to the Treasury Ramathan Ggoobi and Minister of Works and Transport Gen Katumba Wamala.

The events, dubbed the Hon Gen Aronda Nyakairima Memorial Events, also feature the inaugural Kampala Defence and Security Expo, running from September 10 to 12.