Uganda mourns bush war figure and army general Sande

Tributes are pouring in for one of Uganda’s top army generals, Deus Sande, who passed away suddenly.

Major General Deus Sande was the Commander of the Armoured Division of the Uganda People's Defence Forces, UPDF.

Back in the early 1980s, he played a role in the National Resistance Army (NRA), a rebel group led by Yoweri Museveni, which contributed to Museveni’s rise to power in 1986.

According to the UPDF, he died in the early hours of 11 February 2026, in the central district of Mpigi, whilst travelling to the capital, Kampala, to attend the funeral of his colleague, the Deputy Commander of the Land Forces, Major General Francis Takirwa, who had died four days earlier.

While General Takirwa reportedly died following complications arising from a stroke, the Ugandan military said General Sande, on his part, developed “breathing complications” during the burial trip and was taken to a medical facility, where efforts to resuscitate him were unsuccessful. He was reportedly aged 64.

‘Long-time comrade’

The head of the Ugandan military and son of President Yoweri Museveni, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, paid tribute to the late General, saying members of the armed forces were “very saddened by the unexpected passing” of their “long-time comrade”.

Uganda’s State Minister for Sports, Barugahara Balaam Ateenyi, described General Sande as “a disciplined officer, a devoted patriot, and a dedicated servant” of Uganda.

General Sande had played a significant role in the Ugandan military and President Yoweri Museveni’s government.

As the Commander of the Armoured Division based in Uganda’s central district of Masaka, he oversaw armoured warfare readiness, training, and deployment.

The late general had also served as a senior officer in Uganda’s contingent under the African Union Mission in Somalia, boosting his experience in regional peacekeeping operations.

Public backlash

Despite his distinguished military career spanning decades, becoming a Major General in 2025, his life was not without controversies. In 2020, less than a year before Uganda’s general elections, he faced public backlash after saying that the army would not hand over power to "ideologically bankrupt politicians."

The Ugandan military then distanced itself from those comments. The Ugandan military has since appointed Brigadier General Jackson Pande Kajuba to succeed General Sande as the Commander of the Armoured Division.