East Africa’s top defence and intelligence leaders have pledged to strengthen their joint fight against emerging security threats, closing a high-level meeting in Entebbe with a renewed resolve to deepen collaboration, information exchange, and operational readiness.
The three-day gathering brought together senior intelligence chiefs from across the East African Community (EAC) to assess progress and set priorities for a more integrated regional security framework.
Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (UPDF) Land Force Commander, Lt Gen Kayanja Muhanga, urged participants to look beyond borders and work as a unified bloc in confronting the region’s evolving threat landscape.
“As we move forward, let us acknowledge the challenges before us, but confront them together with unity, determination, and purpose,” he said.
Muhanga pressed for sustained collaboration and higher operational standards, anchored in knowledge, best practices, and ethical responsibility.
He also underscored the importance of diverse perspectives in shaping intelligence responses.
Uganda’s Chief of Defence Intelligence and Security, Maj Gen Richard Otto, applauded the frank exchanges and shared strategies that, he said, had already strengthened the region’s security posture.
“Your presence here is a powerful affirmation of the value placed by you and the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces leadership on regional security partnerships,” he said. “We look forward to your guidance and reflections as we build on this momentum.”
Delegates agreed on a roadmap to enhance joint operations, sharpen intelligence-sharing mechanisms, and develop coordinated responses to cross-border challenges such as terrorism, organised crime, and cyber threats.
The meeting closed with a shared commitment to transform words into actionable strategies, reinforcing the region’s united front in safeguarding peace and stability.
