Gen Saleh to Defence College Students: Challenge Yourselves on Critical Thinking

The Chief Coordinator of Operation Wealth Creation Gen (Rtd) Caleb Akandwanaho has asked military students from the Uganda National Defence College (NDC – U) to study the country’s works and challenge themselves to critical thinking to produce useful products.

Gen Akandwanaho, commonly known as Salim Saleh, made this remark at Namunkekera Rural Industrial Center while meeting a delegation of both college senior directing staff and course participants at NDC – U in Njeru, Jinja district.

The students were conducting a guided study tour of Namunkekera Rural Industrial Park in Kapeeka.

The visiting team was led by the commandant of the National Defence College Uganda, Maj Gen Francis Okello who was accompanied by Senior and Junior directing staff from the college.

In his briefing to the delegation, Gen (Rtd) Salim Saleh took the team through the economic history of Uganda and stressed the need for Course participants to pay attention to the country’s economy besides their military careers.

“Study our own works and challenge yourselves to critical thinking, this will put you in a position to produce an output that is useful to Ugandans,” said Gen Saleh.

The delegation was taken on a guided tour of the different sections of Namunkekera Rural Industrial Center which included Namunkekera Agro-Processing Industry Limited (NAPIL) which deals mainly in processing maize, beans, soya beans, sunflowers with four milling plants and a 2000-metric tonne storage silo, grain and vegetable trading, Good Will Tiles Uganda, ceramics factory, electronics, kitchenware, clothes, and garments.

Maj Gen Francis Okello commended NAPIL for accepting to host the delegation, saying the tour will enrich the students' understanding of the different roles played by the army in the social and economic transformation of communities.

He applauded the different works in the industry and urged students to know what has made this section of UPDF successful

Namunkekera Industrial Park was developed as a joint venture comprising of several value chain industries ranging from fruit processing to ceramic manufacturing.

It employs over 2000 youths. A government intervention against poverty known as Operation Wealth Creation supervises the park.

This is part of many study tours by course participants after their recent international visits in Turkey and India.

The delegation included 18-course participants on a one-year strategic military course at the National Defence College Uganda in Njeru.

Namunkekera Rural Industrial Center has 17 fully functional industries and 34 still under construction.