By Sulaiman Kauki
KAMPALA — Brig. Gen. Asaph Mweteise Nyakikuru has been appointed Acting Commander of the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) Special Forces Command (SFC) and promoted to the acting rank of Major General.
The appointment places Maj. Gen. (Acting) Nyakikuru in charge of the UPDF’s elite unit tasked with protecting the President, securing key national installations and conducting specialised military operations.
Nyakikuru previously served as Deputy Commander of the Special Forces Command, a position he assumed in June 2024 after replacing Brig. Gen. Charity Bainababo. Before that appointment, he commanded the SFC Commando Brigade, where he supervised specialised operations and advanced military training programmes.
Over the course of his military career, Nyakikuru has participated in UPDF missions in Somalia, South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo, among other security operations. He has also played a significant role in the training and mentorship of Special Forces personnel, consistently promoting professionalism, discipline and merit-based leadership within the force.
His elevation comes after serving as deputy to Maj. Gen. David Mugisha, who has led the Special Forces Command since 2021. As acting commander, Nyakikuru is expected to oversee the continued implementation of the SFC mandate and provide leadership to one of the UPDF’s most strategic formations.
By press time, the UPDF had not issued additional details regarding the command changes.