Ikondere, Lokech’s Sons Commissioned as UPDF Officers

President Yoweri Museveni has commissioned the sons of fallen UPDF generals Reuben Ikondere and Paul Lokech into the army.

Matthew Ikondere and Robinson Lokech were commissioned as officer cadets alongside 772 other graduates at the Basic Military Training School- Kaweweta on Wednesday afternoon. The officers achieved this feat after a year-long rigorous training at the military school.

Matthew Ikondere took to the social media platform X, formerly Twitter, to declare his allegiance to Uganda amidst numerous congratulatory messages following his commissioning.

Mai Mai militiamen killed Lt Col Reuben Ikondere in November 1999 during the height of the insurgency in the Democratic Republic of Congo. At the time of his demise, Ikondere was commanding Uganda Peoples Defence Forces (UPDF) troops in Bunia, Eastern Congo.

Before that, Ikondere had served fearlessly in the army right from the bush war days of the National Resistance Army (NRA). He was one of the 27 armed fighters who accompanied Gen Museveni on the NRA’s first mission at Kabamba Military barracks in February 1981. This gave birth to President Museveni’s five-year struggle to capture power that climaxed in 1986 as the NRA marched into Kampala.

During the seizing of Kampala, Ikondere commanded a company of the NRA’s 7th Battalion that captured Makindye and Mbuya. He would then go on to serve as the Charge of the 39th Battalion in the North, and operations commander of the 7th Division at its inception in 1989. In 1992, he served as the Deputy Commander to Col Sam Wasswa in the 4th Division, in the North.

Lokech

Robinson Lokech also took to X to announce his commissioning, which was also welcomed with congratulatory messages.

Paul Lokech was an accomplished soldier who served the UPDF in various missions and peaked during his tour of duty in wartorn Somalia. While in the capital of Somalia, Lokech commanded the eradication of Al Shabaab militants from the city, earning the title Lion of Mogadishu.

Following his return from Mogadishu, Lokech was appointed Deputy Inspector General of Police in December 2020 ahead of the 2021 elections. However, less than nine months in the Deputy IGP office, Paul Lokech suffered a blot clot and died at his home in Kira town, Wakiso District on 21 August 2021.

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