The Ministry of Defence and Veterans Affairs has revealed that the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (UPDF) has not yet deployed troops to the Gaza Strip, despite parliamentary approval for the international peacekeeping mission granted over a month ago.
The revelation was made by UPDF Chief of Joint Staff, Lt. Gen. Jack Bakasumba, while appearing before Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) to respond to queries arising from the Auditor General’s report.
On August 6, 2026, Parliament approved a government motion authorizing the deployment of UPDF personnel to Gaza as part of a proposed International Stabilisation Force. The legislative approval was a mandatory legal requirement, after which the Defence Minister was directed to finalize the operational requirements.
However, when questioned by the committee—chaired by Kassanda County North MP Patrick Nsamba Oshabe—about whether the deployment had taken effect, Lt. Gen. Bakasumba confirmed that Ugandan troops are still on home soil.
“The deployment has not been done as there is no binding Memorandum of Understanding as of now. Training of the troops to be deployed is still undergoing as we wait for clearance,” Bakasumba told the legislators.
The disclosure highlights that while the political and parliamentary hurdles have been cleared, the diplomatic and logistical preparations including a formalized international agreement are still pending.
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Beyond the Middle East, the committee also pressed the military leadership for an update on the security situation in neighboring South Sudan, following recent political developments that have sparked regional concerns.
Bakasumba assured the committee that Ugandan security and intelligence agencies are closely monitoring the political climate across the border and have contingency plans in place.
“We are monitoring the situation in South Sudan. In case of need, government will repatriate Ugandans living in that country,” he stated, indicating readiness to protect Ugandan nationals if the situation deteriorates.
The parliamentary session also scrutinized the progress of major sports infrastructure projects currently being undertaken by the UPDF Engineering Brigade ahead of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), which Uganda will co-host alongside Kenya and Tanzania.
The Ministry of Defence presented mixed progress figures across several critical facilities:
Mandela National Stadium, Namboole: 49 percent
Kyambogo University Training Ground: 93 percent
Makerere University Training Ground: 76 percent
Hoima Boma Training Ground: 64 percent
FUFA Kadiba: 10 percent
The reported levels of completion, particularly for the flagship Namboole Stadium and FUFA Kadiba, prompted immediate concern from the committee regarding the country’s ability to meet required timelines.
“At 49 percent for Namboole and 10 percent for FUFA Kadiba, are we really ready to host AFCON? This is worrying,” PAC Chairperson Patrick Nsamba noted.
Despite the concerns, the government has maintained its construction timeline, stating that Namboole is expected to be completed by December 2026, while the FUFA Kadiba and Sir Tito Winyi Secondary School training facilities are scheduled for handover in January 2027.
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