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Preparations for the 44th Tarehe Sita celebrations in high gear

28 January 2025, 8:17 pm

By Ronald Ssemagonja

The Uganda People’s Defence Force (UPDF) has released a programme for activities to commemorate the 44th anniversary of Tarehe Sita at Kasana playgrounds, Kyotera district. Speaking to the media at the Uganda Media Centre in Kampala, the Chief Political Commissariat for the Joint Staff, Maj. General Henry Matsiko, informed the media that various activities will be held in Kyotera district, including cleaning and the construction of school classrooms, among others.

The 6th of February, since 1981, has been designated to celebrate the founding of the people’s army. It symbolises and recognises the efforts of the founding fathers of the revolution for freedom and democracy in Uganda. “It is important that a culture of remembrance should be entrenched to ensure that at no time should the armed forces forget that their unwavering strategy should be the support of the population. Likewise, the people should be reminded of their patriotic duty to participate in the defence of the country as provided for under Article 17(2) of the Constitution of Uganda,” Matsiko said.

The celebrations will be held under the theme: “Celebrating Pan-African Solidarity and the People’s Sacrifice in the Struggle for Freedom and Democracy for Socioeconomic Transformation.” In celebrating this year’s Tarehe Sita, the UPDF recalls that on 5th February 1981, a group of gallant sons and daughters of Uganda, led by H.E. the President of Uganda, Museveni, launched a protracted people’s war with 27 guns.

“Tarehe Sita celebrations in Greater Masaka, as is always the case, offer the UPDF an opportunity to optimise its core functions, one of which is fostering harmony and understanding between the defence forces and civilians. It is within this context that each year the army engages in several civil-military cooperation activities of immediate impact, giving back to the people and expressing eternal gratitude to the population for their continued support towards national defence,” he said.

According to Matsiko, the military has established a National Defence College dedicated to providing advanced military education and strategic training to high-ranking military and civilian officials in Uganda. “The UPDF has conducted mission training for 11,404 personnel under Battle Groups and the United Nations Guard Unit, preparing them for missions in Somalia and development projects in Equatorial Guinea,” Matsiko added.

Additionally, the UPDF has continued to improve the welfare of its members through the provision of goods and services at subsidised prices to 10,855 service personnel, covering both construction materials and non-construction consumables through the Defence Forces Shops. All UPDF officers and personnel who retire are paid their retirement packages and pensions on time. However, about 68,000 veterans who retired before 2014, including those who were part of the Reduction in Forces Exercise between 1992 and 1994, are being handled appropriately.

The UPDF will carry out cleaning activities in various areas, including Kyotera town council market and taxi park, Mutukuka town council Market, Kalisizo town council market and hospital, Butamba market, Lyantonde town council, Kyazanga market, Nakatiba landing site, Sembabule trading centre, Namirembe landing site, Nyendo market, and Lwabenge trading centre, among others.

“We salute the people of Masaka for their continued support of the UPDF and other security organisations in rooting out anti-people forces such as the Bijambiya groups. Their support for the government’s strategy to achieve Uganda’s Vision 2040 is evidenced by their embrace of wealth creation programmes, resulting in bumper harvests of crops like coffee, which have enabled civilians to benefit from the current coffee boom,” Matsiko said.

Chief political commissariat for the joint staff, Maj .General Henry Matsiko.