![\"\"](\"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/mu-1-1024x682.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nThis event marked the final day of a three-day 2024 Kampala Defence and Security Expo, which commenced on Tuesday, September 10, 2024. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The expo was held under the theme: \u201cCelebrating the Life of Hon. Gen. Aronda Nyakairima; A Paragon of Revolutionary Sacrifice, Pan-Africanism, Patriotism, Courage, and an Accomplished Freedom Fighter\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to President Museveni, when he appointed Gen. Aronda Minister of Internal Affairs, he tackled a problem that had plagued Uganda since independence; the accurate identification of Ugandans, particularly voters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He highlighted that the 1962 elections were marred by widespread fraud orchestrated by the Uganda People\u2019s Congress (UPC) and Kabaka Yekka.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cEach party had its own box, and voters were secretly directed to fill boxes in favour of UPC. The boxes, marked with symbols like the hoe for DP and a finger for Kabaka Yekka, were manipulated to ensure results favoured the UPC. This level of deceit undermined the entire electoral process, making MPs unaccountable and indifferent to their constituents,\u201d he noted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Following Amin’s removal in 1979, President Museveni said his group sought to reform this corrupt system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDespite our efforts to introduce transparent practices like one ballot box per polling station and public voting, cheating persisted with multiple registrations and fake ballot papers,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While in power, the President introduced the idea of electronic voting with fingerprint identification, a concept he proposed two decades ago, in order to combat the vice. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cFingerprints are unique; Gen. Muhoozi\u2019s fingerprints are different from mine,\u201d President Museveni noted. He added that although the machines were procured, a legal loophole allowed manual voting if the machines failed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe law must be amended to state that if the electronic system fails, elections at that polling station should be suspended. Aronda\u2019s efforts were significant, but the law still left room for cheating.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n President Museveni also praised Gen. Aronda\u2019s discipline and the significance of the culture of remembering contributions of such exceptional people. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThank you, the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) and the Ministry for organising this remembrance for Aronda. This remembrance is crucial for justice and education, providing a forum for retired and serving officers to unite,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI salute those who organised this remembrance ceremony. This is a good culture because it does justice to those who sacrificed, so people get to know what they did. We have now done justice to Gen. Aronda. Additionally, people who were not there get to learn about what the departed did; it is an education for all. Lastly, it creates a forum where retired, still-serving, and young officers come together,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Reflecting on divine intervention, President Museveni expressed that while not everything is due to God, improvements in healthcare measures have increased life expectancy to 65 years in the country. <\/p>\n\n\n\n He recounted how Gen. Aronda\u2019s undiagnosed heart condition led to his suffering during a conference trip, highlighting the need for better healthcare.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAronda and his peers rejuvenated the Uganda People\u2019s Defence Forces and reinforced the NRA’s principle of strategic relationship with the people,\u201d he noted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He also acknowledged the success of Wazalendo Savings and Credit Cooperative, which Gen. Aronda significantly advanced, turning it into a major institution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThen Wazalendo, I don\u2019t know what happened. We had talked about this Wazalendo for a long time, and it was not being implemented.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The present leadership in UPDF should find out why Wazalendo had not taken off yet. We had talked about it a long time, but Aronda came and really jump-started it. It\u2019s now a very big bank,\u201d he noted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mrs. Linda Aronda, the widow of the late Gen. Aronda, reflected on her husband’s remarkable life and legacy. She shared intimate insights into their life together and the indelible impact Gen. Aronda had on both his family and the nation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mrs. Aronda reminisced about their early years, saying, “In the 1990s, I met a young Aronda, then a Major. From the very start, he was a dedicated officer at the Presidential Protection Unit, now known as the Special Forces Command. Even during our courtship, his commitment to his work was unwavering.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDespite his demanding role, he always made time for our relationship. There were times during our dates when he would receive urgent calls to return to work. He would promptly drop me home and head back to his duties. Our bond deepened, leading to our marriage in 1996 and the birth of our two wonderful children, Samuel and Samantha,\u201d she added. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Mrs. Aronda also spoke about the challenges of balancing family life with a military career. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAfter our marriage, he was transferred to Masaka’s Armored Brigade, which meant our family saw little of him. However, whenever he returned home, he made it a priority to spend quality time with me and the children, despite his hectic schedule.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cEven with his packed schedule, he always tried to be present for us. Although he couldn’t attend school events frequently, he made those moments special when he could. His honesty, patience, and kindness were evident to all who knew him.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n She further emphasised Gen. Aronda\u2019s work ethic and his message to the youth. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHis dedication was immense, often working nearly around the clock, especially on crucial projects like the ID initiative. His message to the youth was always clear: -Success comes from diligence and effort. You have to work hard to achieve anything.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n In conclusion, Mrs. Aronda expressed her gratitude to the President and UPDF for the support rendered towards their family. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe are immensely grateful to the UPDF and President Museveni for their unwavering support to our family. Their kindness has provided us with comfort and stability.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n In attendance of the memorial thanksgiving ceremony were the Minister of Defence and Veteran Affairs, Hon. Jacob Oboth Oboth; Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the Chief of Defence Forces; Ms. Rosette Byengoma, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Defence and Veteran Affairs; Dr. Johnson Byabashaija, the Commissioner General of Prisons; service commanders; retired generals; service chiefs of staff; and the family of the late Gen. Aronda.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Biography:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The Late Gen. Aronda Nyakairima was born on July 7, 1959, to the late Mr. Jeremiah and the late Gla-Idys Nyakairima of Rukungiri District.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He attended Katojo Primary School, Lubiri Secondary School, and Kitgum High School for his primary and secondary education.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Political Science from Makerere University in 1981 and joined the Protracted People’s Struggle in 1982.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He was commissioned in 1986 to the rank of JO2 and served through the ranks to General, the rank he held until his death. Aronda’s notable career began in the military, where he served with distinction as the Army Commander from June 2003 to October 2005.<\/p>\n\n\n\n His strategic acumen was further demonstrated as the Overall Commander of Operation Iron Fist from May 2002 to June 2003, a crucial period in the nation\u2019s defence operations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Transitioning from military to political leadership, Gen. Aronda was a prominent figure in the 8th and 9th Parliaments as a Member of Parliament representing UPDF from November 2005 to April 2013.<\/p>\n\n\n\n His leadership continued as he was appointed Chief of Defence Forces, a role he held from 2003 to 2013.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In 2013, Gen. Aronda took on the role of Minister of Internal Affairs, representing UPDF, and continued to serve the nation until his passing on September 12, 2015.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Edfitor:msserwaanga@gmail.com<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has praised the late Gen. Aronda Nyakairima for his transformative impact on Uganda’s voter identification system,<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":12814,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[65],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12813","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-national-news"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/mu.jpg","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":12803,"url":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/president-museveni-commends-the-updf-for-being-self-sustaining-urges-the-amry-to-engage-in-more-development-work\/","url_meta":{"origin":12813,"position":0},"title":"President Museveni Commends The UPDF For Being Self Sustaining ,Urges The Amry To Engage In More Development Work","author":"UgandaUpdate","date":"September 10, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"By Our Reporters In Munyonyo President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has officiated at the first \u00a0Kampala Defense and Security Expo 2024, which has been organized by the Ministry of Defense in collaboration with the Uganda People\u2019s Defense Forces (UPDF). The expo which is in \u00a0memory of the late Gen. Aronda Nyakairima,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "National News"","block_context":{"text":"National News","link":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/category\/national-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/kmc2.jpg","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/kmc2.jpg 1x, https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/kmc2.jpg 1.5x, https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/kmc2.jpg 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":7728,"url":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wazalendo-sacco-applauds-their-founding-board-chairman-gen-kale-kayihura-for-effective-loan-utilization\/","url_meta":{"origin":12813,"position":1},"title":"WAZALENDO SACCO APPLAUDS THEIR FOUNDING BOARD CHAIRMAN \u00a0GEN. KALE KAYIHURA FOR EFFECTIVE LOAN UTILIZATION","author":"UgandaUpdate","date":"December 20, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"By Charity N Namanya In Lyatonde Wazalendo monitoring and evaluation team led by the CEO Col\u00a0 Joseph Freddy Onata has visited Gen Kale Kayihura\u2019s \u00a0Katebe Business Farm limited\u00a0 located in Kasagama, Lyatonde District.\u00a0\u00a0 The team visited over 8 projects run by the farm which included; Banana plantation , Gonja plantation,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "National Development"","block_context":{"text":"National Development","link":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/category\/national-development\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/kay-4.jpg","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/kay-4.jpg 1x, https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/kay-4.jpg 1.5x, https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/kay-4.jpg 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":14056,"url":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/retirement-and-how-fast-kampala-people-forget-you\/","url_meta":{"origin":12813,"position":2},"title":"Retirement And How Fast Kampala People Forget You","author":"UgandaUpdate","date":"March 17, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"By Ofwono Opondo Mid-last year, I retired from one active-duty service and now remaining on political secondment by President Yoweri Museveni to my present duty station of the last 12 years at the Uganda Media Centre. As one grows, you mostly think about how to age in peace, tranquility, modest\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "National News"","block_context":{"text":"National News","link":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/category\/national-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/ofo.jpg","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":8926,"url":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/check-all-body-guards-president-gen-museveni-orders-as-updf-says-they-pay-soldiers-on-time\/","url_meta":{"origin":12813,"position":3},"title":"Check all body guards President Gen. Museveni orders as UPDF says they pay soldiers on time","author":"UgandaUpdate","date":"May 3, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"By Our Reporters President Gen .Yoweri Kaguta Museveni \u00a0has ordered \u00a0for the immediate mental\u00a0, psychological and background checks on all armed officers who are deployed to provide body guard security for Very Important People (VIPS) including ministers . Multiple sources have told ugandaupdatenews.com that Gen. Museveni who is also the\u00a0\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Security"","block_context":{"text":"Security","link":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/category\/security\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/129565928_microsoftteams-image.png.webp","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/129565928_microsoftteams-image.png.webp 1x, https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/129565928_microsoftteams-image.png.webp 1.5x, https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/129565928_microsoftteams-image.png.webp 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":16348,"url":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/all-ugandans-should-be-in-the-money-economy-museveni\/","url_meta":{"origin":12813,"position":4},"title":"All Ugandans Should Be In The Money Economy -Museveni","author":"UgandaUpdate","date":"January 28, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni on Monday presided over the 40th Liberation Anniversary of the National Resistance Movement (NRM).The historic celebrations were held at Kololo Independence Grounds on January 26, 2026. The event marked four decades since the NRM took power in 1986. It brought together thousands of Ugandans from all\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "National News"","block_context":{"text":"National News","link":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/category\/national-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/her7.jpg","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/her7.jpg 1x, https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/her7.jpg 1.5x, https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/her7.jpg 2x, https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/her7.jpg 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":8207,"url":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/museveni-highlights-nine-tasks-to-achieve-strategic-goals\/","url_meta":{"origin":12813,"position":5},"title":"Museveni highlights nine tasks to achieve strategic goals","author":"UgandaUpdate","date":"February 7, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"President Museveni has said Uganda is more united than ever because of the correct ideology of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) Government. The ideology, according to the President includes the four (4) core principles of; Patriotism, Pan-Africanism, Socio-Economic Transformation and Democracy. \u201cThe correct principles of the NRM, united our people\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "National News"","block_context":{"text":"National News","link":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/category\/national-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/42nd-Tarehe-Sita-Anniiversary-Kakyeka-stadium-Mbarara-6th-Feb-2023-Gen-Museveni-others-receive-medals-56-scaled-2.jpg","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/42nd-Tarehe-Sita-Anniiversary-Kakyeka-stadium-Mbarara-6th-Feb-2023-Gen-Museveni-others-receive-medals-56-scaled-2.jpg 1x, https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/42nd-Tarehe-Sita-Anniiversary-Kakyeka-stadium-Mbarara-6th-Feb-2023-Gen-Museveni-others-receive-medals-56-scaled-2.jpg 1.5x, https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/42nd-Tarehe-Sita-Anniiversary-Kakyeka-stadium-Mbarara-6th-Feb-2023-Gen-Museveni-others-receive-medals-56-scaled-2.jpg 2x, https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/42nd-Tarehe-Sita-Anniiversary-Kakyeka-stadium-Mbarara-6th-Feb-2023-Gen-Museveni-others-receive-medals-56-scaled-2.jpg 3x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pc0aOV-3kF","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12813","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12813"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12813\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12818,"href":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12813\/revisions\/12818"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12814"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12813"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12813"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12813"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"\"](\"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/mu2-1024x682.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Initially met with scepticism, the President said the technology was refined through a partnership between Uganda and a German company, which proposed scanning the entire hand to ensure accuracy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/prowebinhost.com\/anzu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/mu3-1024x682.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Military Courses Attended:
\u2022 Senior Strategic Course, Egypt, 1999
\u2022 CGSC, USA, 1993 JCSC, Jinja
\u2022 OBC, Intake 01\/89, Bombo
\u2022 International Security Course, UK, 1987<\/p>\n\n\n\n