Brig. Byekwaso's appointment as chief of staff marks a significant milestone as she becomes the first female military officer to hold such a position within the UPDF.
Brig. Flavia Byekwaso, the former UPDF spokesperson has taken
over as the new Chief of Staff at the Uganda Rapid Deployment Capability Center
(URDCC) in Jinja City, three months after graduating from the National Defense
College (NDC) in Buikwe District.
URDCC is responsible for deploying officers to handle various
humanitarian crises and emergency operations both domestically and in peace
support operations abroad. Brig. Byekwaso's appointment as chief of staff marks
a significant milestone as she becomes the first female military officer to
hold such a position within the UPDF.
She takes over from Brig. Stephen Kashure, who had been serving
as both chief of staff and acting commandant of URDCC for the past seven
months. During the handover ceremony at URDCC headquarters, Brig. Kashure
acknowledged that they faced undisclosed challenges and brought them to the
attention of UPDF leadership for further action.
Brig. Byekwaso expressed her enthusiasm for the new role, which
encompasses both administrative and operational responsibilities within the
UPDF unit. URDCC plays a crucial role in the timely deployment of forces to address
humanitarian crises as they arise, even with limited resources.
She acknowledged that their duties often involve working with
limited funding and resources but expressed confidence in the UPDF's ability to
deliver quality results despite challenges. She believes that the new
leadership at URDCC will make valuable contributions to the unit's
effectiveness.
//Cue in: “This makes me…
Cue out…on our mandate,”//
Brig. Byekwaso also highlighted that her appointment signifies an elevation in her military career and offers opportunities for personal growth.
//Cue in: “As an individual…
Cue out…good for me,”//.
In addition, Brig. James Ruhesi has officially assumed his position as the substantive commandant
of URDCC, succeeding Brig. Gaetano Omolla, who was deployed as Uganda's
contingent commander in Somalia late last year.
