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It was supposed to be a solemn morning of honour and final salute—but fate had other plans.
Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) Armoured Division Commander, Maj. Gen. Deus Sande, has died suddenly after developing severe breathing complications while travelling to Kampala in the early hours of Wednesday.
Gen. Sande was on his way to attend the funeral service of fellow senior officer Maj. Gen. Francis Takirwa at All Saints Cathedral, Nakasero, when tragedy struck.
According to UPDF spokesperson Chris Magezi, the senior officer developed breathing complications at around 3:45 a.m. while in Mpigi District.
“He was rushed to a health facility in Mpigi where medical personnel attempted to resuscitate him, but unfortunately the efforts were unsuccessful,” Magezi said.
The exact cause of death, the army noted, will be determined after further medical examination.
Gen. Sande, a respected mechanised warfare commander, had been serving as head of the UPDF Armoured Division based in Kasijjagirwa, Masaka District — one of the army’s most strategic formations responsible for heavy equipment and armoured operations.
His sudden death has sent shockwaves through the military establishment, coming just days after the passing of Maj. Gen. Francis Takirwa — the very officer he was travelling to honour.
What began as a week of mourning for one general has now turned into a double tragedy for the UPDF’s top brass.
Senior officers described the mood within the force as “heavy and sombre,” with many struggling to come to terms with losing two high-ranking commanders within days of each other.
Funeral arrangements for Maj. Gen. Sande are expected to be communicated by the military in due course as the nation once again prepares to salute another fallen general.
For the UPDF, it is a week of tears, uniforms draped in black ribbons, and bugles sounding one too many times.
