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Uganda Land Forces - Order of Battle

When the bush war ended in 1986 National Resistance Army [NRA] was transformed into a National Army. The Vice-Chairman of the National Resistance Movement was the Chairman of the High Command (CHC) of the guerilla Army. There was no any other structure of authority on top and also there was only one Brigade and all the battalions and Unit Commanders had direct communication with the Commander in Chief either through the Army Commander or his deputy incases of emergency.

Army building continued until victory in 1986. By that time, there were the following battalions: 1st under Kutesa and Mugisha; 3rd – Lumumba; 5th – Kashaka; 7th – Kyaligonza and Stanley Muhangi; 9th – Kihanda; 11th – Chefe Ali; 13th – Koreta; 15th – Mande; 17th – Wasswa; 19th – Kerim; and 21st – Benon Tumukunde. There was also Special Force under Namara Katabarwa and Jet [Mwebaze] that cleared Sentema and blocked Bwaise. These were effective and oversize units - 19th Batallion was, for instance, 1,900 officers and soldiers.

The NRA took on the structure of the outgoing Army "The Uganda National Liberation Army" (UNLA) and absorbed a good number of officers and men of UNLA. By 1992, work on the Army establishment had been done and the document was generally accepted by the Army pending a few amendments. However, the proposed structure of the Army was ambitious and much more costly to run than the one before and did not cater for the concerns of the Ministry headquarters. Contrary to the general government policy, it was not implemented.

The establishment (1992) states the number of personnel, soldiers, junior and senior officers per unit/department. It specifies the ranks and remuneration of each office bearers. It goes further to attach facilities required to each Unit/Department. Such facilities include among others equipment, and motor vehicles. This move was meant to enhance efficiency, effectiveness good working relationships and accountability with in the Army.

The UPDF divisions are where about 90% of the UPDF's strength is found. The land forces include five divisions (each with up to five brigades), one armored and one artillery brigade. UPDF is in the 5th Division, 4th Division and 3rd Division, all in northern Uganda, as part of confidence building against the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) outfit.