Maj Gen Olum replaces Kayanja as Mountain Division Commander

KAMPALA, UGANDA: President Museveni, the Commander in Chief of the armed forces has appointed Maj Gen Dick Olum as the new commander of the UPDF Mountain Division based in Kabarole district, Western Uganda.

Maj Gen Olum replaces Lt Gen Kayanja Muhanga who was last week appointed the new Commander of the UPDF Land Forces.

He also subsequently takes over the commander role of Operation Shuja, an army unit established to fight the Allied Democratic Forces rebels in the neighboring DR Congo.

Defence Spokesperson Brig Gen Felix Kulayigye confirmed the appointment in a Tuesday statement on Twitter saying; “The President and Commander-in-Chief of UPDF, Gen Museveni, has appointed Maj Gen Dick Olum as the commander of the UPDF (Uganda People’s Defence Forces) Mountain Division and also the Commander of Operation Shujaa.”

Who is Gen Olum?

Born 1970 in Zombo district, Maj Gen Dick Olum has risen through the ranks to establish himself as one of the battle-hardened but also finest commanders of the UPDF through the years.

In 2012, he commanded 5000 strong African Union force based in Nzara , South Sudan composed of troops from four countries including Uganda, South Sudan, DRC and Central African Republic tasked with hunting down Lords Resistance Army leader, Joseph Kony.

Between 2013 and 2014, Olum served as the UPDF Contingent Commander in Somalia, a job he executed very well.

He served as the Commander of the UPDF contingent of the African Union Mission to Somalia (AMISOM) from June 2013 to April 2015.

From April 2015 to October 2017, he served as the commanding officer of the 3rd Division of the UPDF in Moroto District.

In October 2017, he was appointed Uganda’s military attaché at the Ugandan embassy in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Prior to the current appointment, he has been the defence advisor in Uganda’s embassy in Kinshasa [the Democratic Republic of the Congo].