Kainerugaba promoted to full General, but placed on 'katebe' as he's left undeployed

According to a message from the UPDF, Kainerugaba will now be replaced by Gen Kayanja Muhanga as the commander Land Forces-UPDF.

Muhanga has also been promoted from the rank of Major General to Lieutenant General.

Kainerugaba’s military career

Kainerugaba was born in April 24th, 1974.

In 1999, he joined the UPDF at the rank of officer cadet and graduated in 2000 from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, the British army’s elite officer training school.

In September 2011, Kainerugaba was promoted to Colonel. Thereupon, in February 2012, he enrolled at the South African National Defence College for the Executive National Security Program.

In August 2012, he was promoted to Brigadier General and appointed Commander Special Forces Command (SFC).

In 2013 and 2014 Kainerugaba was one of the senior UPDF commanders deployed to South Sudan to pacify the world’s youngest country after fighting broke out in Juba between rival factions of the Sudan Peoples’ Liberation Army.

In 2017, he was appointed Senior Presidential Adviser on Special Duties, a position he held until December 2020.

In February 2019, he was promoted him to Lieutenant General.

In June 2021, Kainerugaba was appointed Commander of UPDF Land forces, taking over from Lt. Gen. Peter Elwelu, who then deputised him.

Kainerugaba is now a full general, however he has not been given a fresh deployment.

To some observers, he is thus on “katebe” (undeployed). This, in Ugandan military-speak, means he is idle and a beneficiary of a patronage sinecure, something most soldiers detest.