Brigadier Flavia Byekwaso, is a Ugandan military officer, who served as an elected member of parliament representing the Uganda People's Defence Forces (UPDF) in the 10th Parliament (2016–2021).[1] On 1 August 2020, she was appointed Spokesperson of the UPDF, replacing Brigadier Richard Karemire, who was transferred to the East African Community headquarters as the Defence Liaison Officer.[2] In January 2022 she was dropped as UPDF spokesperson and sent for further training at the Uganda National Defence College.[3]
Brigadier Flavia Byekwaso | |
|---|---|
 Brig. Gen Flavia Byekwaso | |
| Born | 29 December 1971 |
| Nationality | Ugandan |
| Citizenship | Uganda |
| Education | St. Mathias Kalemba Senior Secondary School (High School Diploma) |
| Alma mater | Makerere University (Bachelor of Business Administration (Master of Public Administration) Uganda National Defence College (Masters of Security Strategy) |
| Years active | 2000–present |
| Known for | Military matters |
| Title | Chief of Staff of the Uganda Rapid Deployment Capability Center (URDCC). |
Effective May 2023 she was appointed Chief of Staff of the Uganda Rapid Deployment Capability Center (URDCC), based at Gaddafi Barracks, in Jinja, Uganda.[4]
Background and education
editShe was born on 29 December 1971, in the Central Region of Uganda. She attended St. Mathias Kalemba Senior Secondary School, in Nazigo, Kayunga District, for both her O-Level and A-Level studies.[1]
Her first degree, a Bachelor of Business Administration, was awarded by Makerere University, Uganda's oldest and largest public university in 1996. Later, in 2012, she obtained a Master of Public Administration and Management degree, also from Makerere University.[1]
She was a member of the pioneer class to attend the Uganda National Defence College, entering in 2022 and graduating in 2023.[5]
Career
editAccording to her biography at the website of the Ugandan parliament, Flavia Byekwaso was recruited by the Ugandan military in 2000, starting out as a protocol officer. Over time, she worked in different roles, including as a military assistant, as an administrative officer and as a logistics officer. She spent the years from 2014 until 2016 serving as the Director of Logistics in the Uganda People's Defence Forces.[1]
In 2016, at the rank of lieutenant colonel, she was elected to be one of the ten military men and women who represented the UPDF in the 10th Parliament (2016–2021).[6] In 2019, in a promotions exercise involving over 2,000 men and women in the UPDF, she was promoted from the rank of colonel to the rank of brigadier general. In that capacity, she was the second highest-ranking woman in the UPDF, behind Proscovia Nalweyiso, whose rank at that time was lieutenant general.[7][8] In March 2016, the Daily Monitor reported that she had served in the past as part of the United Nations–African Union Mission in Darfur, Sudan.[6]
Personal life
editBrigadier Flavia Byekwaso is married.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e Parliament of Uganda (2019). "Parliament of Uganda Members of the 10th Parliament: Byekwaso Flavia". Parliament of Uganda. Kampala. Retrieved 8 February 2019.
- ^ Daily Monitor (1 August 2020). "Brig Gen Flavia Byekwaso replaces Karemire as the new Defence spokesperson". Daily Monitor. Kampala. Retrieved 1 August 2020.
- ^ Arafat Nzito (11 January 2022). "Lt. Col. Kakurungu Replaces Gen. Flavia Byekwaso as UPDF Spokesperson". ChimpReports. Kampala, Uganda. Retrieved 24 June 2024.
- ^ Uganda Radio Network (18 May 2023). "Brig Byekwaso takes over as URDCC Chief of Staff". The Independent (Uganda). Kampala, Uganda. Retrieved 24 June 2024.
- ^ Kenneth Kazibwe (14 December 2021). "Ugandan army starts own National Defence College". Nile Post Uganda. Kampala, Uganda. Retrieved 15 July 2024.
- ^ a b Risdel Kasasira (6 March 2016). "Who are new UPDF MPs?". Daily Monitor. Kampala. Retrieved 9 February 2019.
- ^ Sam Waswa (8 February 2019). "Muhoozi Kainerugaba Promoted To Lieutenant General". Kampala, Uganda: Chimp Reports Uganda. Retrieved 9 February 2019.
- ^ The Independent (8 February 2019). "Koreta, Mugume now Generals, Muhoozi Lieutenant General" (Officer number 60). The Independent (Uganda). Kampala. Retrieved 9 February 2019.