By Our Reporter
NATIONAL
President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, also Commander In Chief of the Armed Forces has today replaced Brigadier General Charity Bainababo with Brigadier Asaph Nyakikuru Mweteise as deputy commander of the Special Forces Command.
Brigadier Asaph Nyakikuru Mweteise had prior to this appointment been the Brigade Commander of the SFC Commando Unit.
Nyakikuru also served in critical commando operations in Somalia that saw UPDF dislodge the deeply-entrenched Al Shabaab militants from Mogadishu.
Meanwhile, Brigadier General Bainababo was recently sent to the National Defence College (NDC).
Who is Brigadier Nyakikuru
Nyakikuru, who was two months ago promoted from the rank of Colonel to Brigadier, will take over from Brigadier Charity Bainababo.
Brigadier Bainababo was recently sent to the National Defence College (NDC).
Nyakikuru has been serving as the Special Forces Commando Force commander.
He boasts a wealth of experience in special forces operations.
Nyakikuru served in critical commando operations in Somalia that saw UPDF dislodge the deeply-entrenched Al Shabaab militants from Mogadishu.
The snipers in Mogadishu scattered the al Shabab at X control Baradi junction east of Mogadishi and Afogooye. The UPDF commandos also saved members of Somalia Parliament when it was attacked by Al Shabaab.
Brig Nyakikuru also commanded commando crack units that thwarted Riek Machar’s attempt to seize power from President Salva Kiir in 2013.
He organised forces that quickly secured the presidential palace, army headquarters and critical state facilities in Juba.
The Ugandan special forces also took charge of the airport, Juba Town and defeated Machar’s forces at Parek.
Nyakikuru also fought in many operations against Allied Democratic Forces in western Uganda as well as the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) in Northern Uganda.
In 2021, President Museveni transformed the first Commando Battalion, which was commanded by Brigadier Nyakikuru into a Brigade.
“I Congratulate the first Commando Battalion which has now grown into a big force. Will transform you into a brigade and will be able to appoint some commanders for the battalions and brigade itself,” said Museveni.
Nyakikuru has been heading Camp Rufu in Kiruhura district. The military facility has specialized sniper commandos and recently enhanced its manpower commando force.
The camp serves as the base for One Command battalion and Special Forces training centre.
Brig Nyakikuru also commanded military operations in Kampala during the violent opposition protests that marred the 2021 general election campaigns.
Human rights groups accused Ugandan forces of using excessive force and holding opposition activists incommunicado.
However, President Museveni hailed the SFC commandos for “doing a thorough job.”
He observed: “I have been seeing people talking nonsense, that SFC did bad things. They didn’t do bad things. I got intelligence about these confused people saying how they are going to kill people, stop elections from taking etc. I called some elements of commando from Nebbi. What they did is well documented. They did a thorough job and broke the back of the insurgency. Anybody not happy with that must be an enemy of Africa.”
