Fort Portal, Uganda: Uganda’s Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) and First Son, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, has appointed Brigadier Paul Muwonge as the new Commander of the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) Mountain Infantry Division headquartered in Fort Portal, Western Uganda.
Brig Muwonge, who has been serving as Deputy Commander of the same division, replaces Major General James Birungi, who has been redeployed as Uganda’s Military Attaché and Defence Advisor in Bujumbura, Burundi.
The appointment follows Brig Muwonge’s prominent role during General Muhoozi’s recent high-level working visit to Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where the Ugandan delegation engaged Congolese authorities to deepen defence cooperation and assess the progress of Operation Shujaa.
The operation is the joint military offensive by UPDF and the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC) against the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) terrorist group entrenched in eastern DRC.
Senior defence insiders noted that Muwonge’s expertise in cross-border counterinsurgency and his hands-on familiarity with Operation Shujaa were key factors that informed his elevation.
During the Kinshasa engagements, Brig Muwonge was praised for his operational knowledge and diplomatic coordination skills, which General Muhoozi described as critical for sustaining regional security gains.
For Maj Gen James Birungi, who had only assumed command of the Mountain Division in April this year after a swap with Major General Richard Otto, he has been sent to Burundi as Uganda’s Defence Attaché to further strengthen bilateral military relations.
Similarly, Brigadier Simon Ochan, who has been serving in Bujumbura, returns to Joint Services Headquarters for reassignment after completing his diplomatic tour of duty.
The UPDF Mountain Infantry Division remains central to Uganda’s counterterrorism posture in the Rwenzori region and beyond, particularly in operations targeting ADF remnants. As the new commander, Brigadier Muwonge will oversee troops engaged in both domestic security and cross-border campaigns.
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