The Ugandan Parliament on Thursday approved a government motion to deploy a Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (UPDF) contingent to the Gaza Strip as part of an International Stabilisation Force (ISF), following an invitation from the United States.
The Minister of Defence and Veteran Affairs, Kiryowa Kiwanuka, tabled the motion during the 14th sitting of the first meeting of the first session of the 12th Parliament, chaired by Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa.
In an August 7, 2026, statement, Acting Director Defence Public Information Col Chris Magezi said Kiwanuka moved the motion under Section 38 of the UPDF Act, Cap. 330, and Rule 61(1)(k) of the Rules of Procedure of Parliament, 2025, SI No. 43 of 2025.
The defence minister said Article 210(d) of the Constitution of the Republic of Uganda mandates Parliament to make laws regulating the UPDF, including the deployment of troops outside Uganda.
He added that Section 38 of the UPDF Act provides that “the President may deploy troops outside Uganda for purposes of peacekeeping or enforcement with the approval of Parliament.”
Giving background, the minister recalled that on October 7, 2023, Hamas and allied groups launched an attack in southern Israel, killing about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking more than 250 hostages. Israel responded with a military campaign that has caused “mayhem in the Gaza Strip”.
“The current Israel-Palestine conflict is rooted in more than a century of competing national movements, disputed territory, repeated wars and failed peace efforts that have led to extensive destruction in the Gaza Strip, a very high death toll, mass displacement and a severe humanitarian crisis requiring immediate intervention to protect civilians and allow for increased humanitarian access in the parts directly affected by the conflict,” Kiwanuka said.
He told MPs that at its 10,046th meeting on November 17, 2025, the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 2803 (2025), which welcomes the establishment of the Board of Peace (BoP) as a transitional administration to coordinate the redevelopment of Gaza until the Palestinian Authority completes its reform programme.
He said Resolution 2803 (2025) calls upon member states and international organisations to work with the BoP to identify opportunities to contribute personnel, equipment and financial resources to its operating entities and to give full recognition to the International Stabilisation Force’s acts and documents.
According to Kiwanuka, in July 2026, US President Donald John Trump, through several emissaries, contacted President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni seeking Uganda’s contribution to the ISF by sending a UPDF contingent.
“On various dates within the month of July 2026, the Republic of Uganda, in accordance with Section 38 of the UPDF Act, held engagements involving the UPDF’s senior leadership and officials of the US Embassy in Kampala, as well as the leadership of the International Stabilisation Force, on the deployment of a UPDF contingent to the Gaza Strip.”
The minister said President Museveni is “ready to deploy in the Gaza Strip the desired UPDF contingent in accordance with Section 38 of the UPDF Act”.
He cited six justifications, including Uganda’s commitment to National Objective XXVII(ii) on participation in organisations that stand for peace and Uganda’s track record in AUSSOM in Somalia, South Sudan, the Central African Republic and UN missions.
“Uganda’s participation as part of the ISF will aid in preventing further conflicts in the region, thus contributing to broader international security by reducing risks of renewed armed conflict between Israel and Palestine, preventing extremist groups from exploiting instability and sabotaging the ceasefire implementation process.”
