The Minister of Defence and Veteran Affairs, Hon. Kiryowa Kiwanuka, has held a series of bilateral meetings with Ambassadors, High Commissioners, and Defence Attachés accredited to Uganda. The engagements focused on strengthening defence cooperation, enhancing regional security collaboration, and expanding partnerships in military health, rehabilitation, and capacity building.
The meetings, held at the Ministry Headquarters in Mbuya, involved separate delegations from the United Kingdom, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the Republic of Korea, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, and the Russian Federation.
During discussions with the UK High Commissioner to Uganda, H.E. Lisa Chesney MBE, both sides reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening cooperation in military rehabilitation, mental health, and sports-based recovery following Uganda’s admission into the Invictus Games Foundation community.
Uganda is only the second African country to join the Invictus Games Foundation community.
Hon. Kiwanuka welcomed the partnership, emphasising that while the UPDF has made substantial investments in medical infrastructure, including the UPDF Referral and Teaching Hospital, there is a need to strengthen expertise in trauma care, mental health, rehabilitation, and physiotherapy.
High Commissioner Chesney said that the Invictus Games Foundation supports the recovery of wounded, injured, and sick service personnel through sport, enabling them to return to military service or successfully transition into civilian life.
During his meeting with H.E. Frederieke Quispel, Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Hon. Kiwanuka reiterated Uganda’s commitment to regional stability, particularly in the Great Lakes Region.
He explained that Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (UPDF) deployments in Somalia and eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are undertaken to safeguard Uganda’s national security while contributing to stability in the wider region.
“The UPDF presence in eastern DRC is to counter insurgent threats to Uganda while also contributing to efforts to reduce instability in the DRC,” Hon. Kiwanuka said. “As the saying goes, if your neighbour’s house is on fire, you cannot sit comfortably in your own.”
Ambassador Quispel noted Uganda’s relative stability in the Great Lakes Region and expressed interest in continued cooperation to support peace in neighbouring countries.
In discussions with the Defence Attaché of the Republic of Korea, Mr. Kim Seha, the Minister undertook to expedite the renewal of the bilateral Defence Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). He also requested continued Korean support to the UPDF Referral and Teaching Hospital, whose first phase is nearing completion.
Mr. Kim reaffirmed Korea’s commitment to capacity building, noting the annual sponsorship of UPDF officers for professional military education at the Korea National Defence University and Korea Army College, as well as the annual Taekwondo training programme for UPDF personnel. He also extended an invitation to the Minister to attend the 2026 Seoul Defence Dialogue.
The Deputy High Commissioner of Pakistan, Mr. Bilal Mohsin, expressed Pakistan’s readiness to expand defence cooperation, particularly in training and technology exchange.
Hon. Kiwanuka welcomed the proposal, noting the existing bilateral relations and Uganda’s interest in deepening collaboration in military training and knowledge sharing.
Meeting the Head of the Russian Delegation, Mr. Dmitry Ivanov, the Minister commended the longstanding relationship between Uganda and Russia, founded on mutual respect.
Mr. Ivanov described Uganda as a key partner in military and military-technical cooperation and outlined three priority areas for collaboration: strengthening the legal framework for cooperation, the provision of modern military equipment, and joint cybersecurity initiatives. He also reaffirmed Russia’s standing offer of USD 53 million in military-technical assistance.
The engagements were attended by senior officials from the Ministry of Defence and Veteran Affairs and the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces, including the Permanent Secretary, Ms. Rosette Byengoma, the Chief of Joint Staff, Lt Gen Jack Bakasumba, and other Joint Staff Directors.