Uganda’s Deputy Commander of Land Forces, Maj. Gen. Francis Takirwa, has died following a prolonged illness.
Maj. Gen. Takirwa was a seasoned senior officer who served in the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) for more than three decades, during which he held several key command and staff appointments.
At the time of his death, he was serving as the Deputy Commander of Land Forces. Previously, he commanded the UPDF Second Division based in Mbarara, western Uganda, and also served as the army’s Chief of Education, Sports and Culture.
Between 2011 and 2012, Maj. Gen. Takirwa was part of the Ugandan contingent deployed to Somalia under the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), a mission aimed at stabilising the country and combating al Shabaab militants.
Born in 1965 in Mbarara District, Takirwa joined the military in the late 1980s and steadily rose through the ranks.
He undertook extensive professional military training both locally and internationally, including courses in Uganda, Tanzania, China, Egypt and South Africa.
