The Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) Gen. Wilson Mbadi has said the UPDF leadership remains steadfast and focused on addressing the soldiers' welfare.

Mbadi made the remarks while officiating the launch of third annual units' mobilisation of the UPDF at Third Division headquarters, Moroto Army Barracks.

While addressing troops, the CDF said the welfare issues the UPDF leadership is focused on include; improving accommodation for soldiers through the construction of housing units based on customised brigade groups, health facilities, and accessing Defence Forces shop duty-free items.

He added that they are also considering the gradual increment of the soldiers' salaries.

Meanwhile, Mbadi noted that the mobilisation exercise aimed at increasing ideological awareness and securing frameworks that liberate the minds of officers, militants, defence workers and families.

He urged the troops to refocus on the UPDF's mandate which is to defend and protect the people and territorial integrity of Uganda and to ensure the inviolability of the peoples' rights, rule of law and good governance in order to facilitate prosperity.

"We must ensure integrity, teamwork, foster harmony with the 'wananchi,' understand both our institutional and individual responsibility," Mbadi said.

Mbadi informed troops that UPDF's plan for capability enhancement remains vital which requires the force to undertake all tasks and respond to national security, geo-strategic and kinetic threats.

He said there is also a need to have training alongside capability enhancement and challenged commanders to train and customise soldiers' skills to cope with changing situations and operations to undertake.

The CDF unit mobilisation exercise is an annual activity that was introduced in December 2020.

To conduct this annual nationwide mobilization exercise, different teams from UPDF strategic headquarters in close coordination and harmony with tactical commanders' traverse and visit different formations and units of UPDF.