11-gun salute as UPDF Director of Training Brig Gen Twinamatsiko is laid to rest – The Kampala Report

The body of Brigadier General Fred Twinamatsiko Kateitwa, Director of Training and Doctrine for the Uganda Peoples Defense Forces (UPDF) Land Forces, was laid to rest on Wednesday afternoon at his ancestral home in Kabaare, Butare ward, Muhanga town council, Rukiga district. The burial ceremony, marked by an 11-gun salute, honored his dedicated service to the nation.

Brig. Gen. Twinamatsiko passed away in a motor vehicle accident on September 13, 2024, at Katonga along the Masaka-Kampala highway. He was returning from Kisoro district, where he had attended the burial of Sarah Nyirabashitsi Mateke, the State Minister for Defense and Veteran Affairs.

His remains were laid to rest at 03:49 PM. During the burial ceremony held at Kakatunda Primary School playground, Rev. Canon Milton Nkurunungi, the Kigezi Diocesan Secretary, urged mourners to live lives that leave behind a positive legacy and to lay a solid foundation for their families.

Brigadier General Mathew Garume, Chief of Training and Recruitment, and Brigadier General Alex Opolot, Head of Training and Doctrine in the UPDF, described Twinamatsiko as a trustworthy, hardworking, and respectable officer. In a message delivered by Major General Henry Matsiko Ndarubweine, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, Chief of Defense Forces (CDF), praised Twinamatsiko for his instrumental role in restoring and maintaining peace and security in Uganda.

He is survived by three widows—Zarik Rihana, Ruth Nyabuhara, and Agnes Kabachwamba—nine children, and four grandchildren.

Biography

Born on November 28, 1962, Brig. Gen. Twinamatsiko began his education at Nyabirerema Primary School in Bukinda Sub County, now in Rukiga District. He continued his studies at Makobore High School for his Ordinary Level and Makerere College for his Advanced Level. He then joined Makerere University, graduating in 1983 with a Second Class Upper degree in Economics and Rural Economy.

Twinamatsiko joined the National Resistance Army (NRA) on April 27, 1987. In 1988, he underwent military training in Yugoslavia, and by 1991, he completed a cadet course, earning the rank of 2nd Lieutenant. His leadership abilities led to successive promotions, and by 1995, he was promoted to the rank of Captain after excelling in a senior commanders course in Munduri, Tanzania.

Throughout his career, Brig. Gen. Twinamatsiko held several key roles in the UPDF, including Paymaster for the 1st Division (1989-1994) and instructor at the Gaddafi Garrison Unit in Jinja. In 2022, he was promoted to the rank of Brigadier. He also completed numerous military courses in countries such as Kenya, Sweden, Yugoslavia, and Tanzania.