Muhoozi Promotes and Appoints Mweteise Nyakikuru New SFC Commander Replacing David Mugisha (Now Sent on Course)

KAMPALA — Chief of Defence Forces and Senior Presidential Advisor for Special Operations, Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, has promoted Brig. Gen. Asaph Mweteise Nyakikuru to the acting rank of Major General and appointed him the new acting Commander of the Special Forces Command (SFC), replacing Maj. Gen. David Mugisha, who has been sent for a National Defence College (NDC) course abroad.

The Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) announced on Monday, August 3, that the appointment and promotion take immediate effect.

Acting Maj. Gen. Nyakikuru, who previously served as the Deputy Commander of the Special Forces Command, now assumes command of one of the UPDF’s most elite formations responsible for protecting the President, members of the First Family, key national installations and undertaking specialised military operations.

He replaces Maj. Gen. David Mugisha, who will spend the next few months preparing to leave Uganda for strategic security studies at the National Defence College abroad.

The Special Forces Command is one of the most strategic formations within the Uganda People’s Defence Forces. It is tasked with providing security for the President, the First Family, State House, and other designated VIPs, while also safeguarding critical national infrastructure and carrying out specialised military operations.

Over the years, the SFC has evolved into an elite force trained in counter-terrorism, special reconnaissance, rapid response operations, airborne missions, and other high-risk assignments. The unit has also played key roles in regional security operations and the protection of Uganda’s strategic interests.

The command has attracted significant public attention because Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba previously served as its commander before rising through the ranks to become Chief of Defence Forces. Since then, leadership of the SFC has remained one of the most closely watched appointments within the UPDF due to the unit’s strategic importance.

In a statement signed by Col. Chris Magezi, the Acting Director of Defence Public Information, the UPDF thanked Maj. Gen. Mugisha for his leadership during his tenure at the helm of the SFC.

“The UPDF thanks Major General David Mugisha for the outstanding tour of duty as commander SFC and wish him good luck in his strategic security studies,” the statement read.

The military also congratulated Acting Maj. Gen. Nyakikuru on both his promotion and appointment.

“We also congratulate Acting Major General Asaph Mweteise Nyakikuru on his deserved appointment and promotion. We also wish him good luck in his new duties.”

The latest changes are part of ongoing adjustments within the Uganda People’s Defence Forces’ senior command structure, with experienced officers being deployed to strategic leadership positions while others undertake advanced military training.

The appointment was announced shortly after President Yoweri Museveni accused security agencies of torture. (See Details Here and There).