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The military is often a world of unwavering resolve, strategic ascent, and an unshakeable sense of duty.
Yet, for some, the journey takes an unexpected detour, propelled by forces beyond their initial design.
UPDF spokesperson Maj Gen Felix Kulayigye offers a compelling narrative of ambition, discipline, and a key moment when the path he envisioned for himself was dramatically rerouted, leading him into the very heart of presidential security—an assignment he initially sought to avoid.
Following his recent return from a short hiatus, Kulayigye sat for a televised interview to tell his story, which brought out the underworld of the structures of the armed forces.
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A Dream Forged in Discipline
For Felix Kulayigye, the call to military service was not a sudden whisper but a lifelong roar.
Straight out of school in 1989, his convictions propelled him directly towards the military training school in Semuto.
“At the time, joining the army was voluntary. It had always been my dream to be in the army, and even in my school days, I prepared for it. Every morning went on an 8km run,” he narrated.
This dedication paid off immediately upon his arrival at the training ground. His inaugural test, a series of demanding frog jumps, proved to be an effortless display of his formidable fitness.
So impressed was his in-charge that he mistook Kulayigye for a seasoned military deserter.
The initial weeks, however, peeled back the layers of romanticised military life, revealing a stark reality.
In those days, all recruits, irrespective of their educational background, commenced their journey at the humble rank of Private.
Brig Gen Felix Kulayigye
"Imagine someone who had left university," Kulayigye muses, "every morning we had to uproot spear grass with our bare hands."
“We had to wake up at 4 am, go for training, and in the evening go to the forest to look for firewood.”
Yet, even amidst this gruelling initiation, Kulayigye’s innate leadership qualities shone through with remarkable speed.
Within merely two weeks, he was entrusted with his first leadership role, and a month later, his ascent continued with a promotion to Company Sergeant Major
The Unforeseen Call to State House
As the intensive training neared its conclusion, a new, unforeseen chapter began to unfold.
The Presidential Protection Unit (PPU), the elite corps then responsible for safeguarding the head of state—a unit that would later evolve into the President Guard Brigade and ultimately the Special Forces Command—arrived on site, seeking to recruit the finest men who had distinguished themselves during their arduous training.
Kulayigye, however, harboured a deep-seated reluctance towards joining the presidential guards.
Having earlier resided in Nsamizi, proximate to the Central Political School of the NRA, he had often observed the PPU guards, witnessing their perpetual busyness and demanding schedules.
This prior observation had cemented his resolve never to become one of them.
True to his conviction, when the PPU recruitment team arrived, Kulayigye, alongside five of his colleagues, sought to evade their notice by hiding.
Yet, fate, in the form of the late Colonel Poteli Kivuna, the chief instructor, had other plans.
Colonel Kivuna, who had previously initiated inter-regiment competitions, had taken keen note of Kulayigye's outstanding performance.
Upon realising Kulayigye’s conspicuous absence, he sent for him. The ensuing confrontation was direct and forceful: a "hot slap" to the face and a gruelling day-long punishment.
“He asked me why I did not want to guard the president, and I told him my goal had been to teach politics in the army and that I had been scouted by Chief Political Commissar Sserwanga Lwanga for this specific mission. He asked me, “Does Sserwanga have his own army?”
It was this forceful intervention that saw Kulayigye "dragged into the PPU by force," subsequently being placed in the innermost circle of the unit.
Shortly thereafter, he was appointed Company Political Commissar, dividing his time between field duties and instructing soldiers.
Kulayigye’s journey within the PPU continued its steep upward trajectory.
Three years into his service, he embarked on Warrant Officer (W.O.) training.
Upon completion, he was appointed Platoon Sergeant, an astonishing feat given that his platoon included two majors, who were now effectively being led by their junior.
Kulayigye attributes this remarkable circumstance to a higher power, remarking simply, "Leadership comes from God."
By 1995, his expertise and leadership capabilities were undeniable, leading to his appointment as the Chief Instructor of the PPU Training School in Kasenyi.
In this critical role, it was his responsibility to meticulously prepare the president’s guards for all missions.
“Up to now, I am an expert in small weapons and VIP protection,” he said.
In 1995, then Minister of Local Government, Kahinda Otafiire, recognised Kulayigye’s potential and recruited him as his Aide-de-Camp (ADC).
In this capacity, Kulayigye became instrumental in the foundational work of Uganda’s Decentralisation Policy
Brig Gen Felix Kulayigye
Bypassing Protocol and Battlefield Commission
While serving in Local Government, he observed his military colleagues, those at the rank of Lieutenant, receiving promotions to Captain, leaving him behind.
This stagnation was short-lived, however. Henry Tumukunde, then of the Ministry of Defence, intervened, requesting Otafiire to release Kulayigye so he too could receive his well-deserved promotion—a request Otafiire graciously granted.
His return to the Ministry of Defence saw him placed in Protocol, a period that notably coincided with the historic visit of President Bill Clinton to Uganda.
Following this, he transitioned to become an assistant to the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Defence, Dr. Ben Mbonye, further broadening his administrative and strategic exposure.
This diverse experience culminated in his undertaking the Company Commander’s Course.
Post-training, Kulayigye was deployed to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in 2023, serving as the spokesperson for the Ugandan contingent.
Three months later, on Easter of the same year, he received a battlefield commission of sorts, being appointed Commanding Officer of the Battalion deployed to combat the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) in Northern Uganda.
His effectiveness in this theatre was so profound that even Joseph Kony, the elusive LRA leader, became acutely aware of his presence, referring to him by the moniker "Kulaize" despite never having met him.
Kony, determined to neutralise this formidable adversary, reportedly orchestrated no fewer than four ambushes specifically to eliminate Kulayigye, all of which he miraculously survived.
Kulayigye’s exceptional service in the field led to his recall from Northern Uganda in April 2005, when he was appointed the Deputy Spokesman of the Uganda People’s Defence Force (UPDF), serving alongside the late Shaban Bantariza.
This marked his entry into a prominent public-facing role, where his communication skills and deep understanding of military affairs would become invaluable.
His influence continued to grow, culminating in his appointment as the UPDF’s Chief Political Commissar in 2013, a position of significant ideological and moral leadership within the armed forces.
Then, in 2022, he returned to a familiar role, once again taking up the mantle of the army spokesperson, a testament to his enduring relevance and expertise in public communication.
Brigadier Felix Kulayigye reflects on this remarkable path with humility, attributing his navigation through its many challenges and triumphs to "God’s grace and patience."