The Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, has made key changes in the top leadership of the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF), appointing Major General Richard Otto as the new Chief of Defence Intelligence and Security (CDIS).
Until his new appointment, Maj Gen Otto has been serving as the Commander of the Mountain Infantry Division, headquartered in Fort Portal. He will now take charge of the country’s strategic military intelligence and security apparatus, succeeding Major General James Birungi.
In a corresponding change, Maj Gen Birungi has been appointed the new Commander of the Mountain Infantry Division, taking over from Maj Gen Otto. The division is a critical formation in the UPDF and doubles as the Joint Task Force Commander for Ugandan troops deployed under Operation Shujaa in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where they are engaged in counter-insurgency operations against armed rebel groups.
The appointments take immediate effect.
In a statement released by the Acting Director of Defence Public Information, Colonel Chris Magezi, the UPDF extended its congratulations to the newly appointed senior officers and expressed best wishes as they assume their new responsibilities.
“These changes reflect the continued commitment to strengthen the operational efficiency and intelligence capacity of the UPDF in fulfilling its constitutional mandate,” Col Magezi noted.
