Parliament has approved the deployment of the Uganda People's Defence Forces (UPDF) to the Gaza Strip as part of an international stabilization and peacekeeping force, following a motion presented by the Minister of Defence and Veteran Affairs, Kiryowa Kiwanuka.
The motion, tabled on Thursday, August 6, 2026, generated a heated debate in Parliament, with several opposition Members of Parliament questioning the process, the risks involved, and the financial implications of the deployment. According to Kiryowa, the deployment follows an invitation by U.S. President Donald Trump , with President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni expressing Uganda's readiness to contribute troops to the international force in accordance with Section 38 of the Uganda People's Defence Forces Act.
"Following the invitation by His Excellency Donald Trump, His Excellency Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, the President of the Republic of Uganda, is ready to deploy the desired Uganda People's Defence Forces contingent to the Gaza Strip in accordance with Section 38 of the Uganda People's Defence Forces Act," Kiryowa told Parliament.
Uganda's Constitution empowers the President to deploy the country's armed forces outside Uganda for peacekeeping and other authorized international operations. Kiryowa said the deployment would help prevent further conflict in the region and contribute to broader international security by reducing the risk of renewed hostilities between Israel and Palestine. He added that Uganda's participation in the international stabilization force would also support efforts to eliminate terrorist cells that have allegedly used the Gaza Strip as a base of operations during the prolonged conflict.
Despite the government's assurances, the motion was strongly opposed by opposition legislators, who argued that they had not been given sufficient time to scrutinize the proposal before it was brought before the House. They called for Parliament to adjourn to allow members adequate time to study the mission's mandate and its implications.
Shadow Minister for Defence Joseph Gonzaga Ssewungu described the motion as an ambush, saying the opposition had neither been consulted nor briefed by the Ministry of Defence. He argued that opposition MPs lacked critical information regarding the mission's objectives, the risks involved, and the expected cost of the deployment.
Kasanda North MP Patrick Nsamba Oshabe also expressed concern about sending Ugandan soldiers into what he described as a highly dangerous conflict zone.
"The matter of deploying our soldiers to a very risky place like Gaza, where Israel strikes every now and again, cannot be casually passed by this House," Nsamba said.
Members of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) and UPDF representatives in Parliament defended the deployment, describing it as a vote of confidence in Uganda's military, which has built a strong reputation through peacekeeping operations across Africa.
UPDF representative Maj. Gen. Henry Matsiko told Parliament that the army is trained to undertake military operations wherever they are required.
"The army is trained for war, not to be in a dancing hall," Matsiko said. "Being requested by a superpower to participate in such an honourable peace and humanitarian mission is a vote of confidence in Uganda's military."
The debate also highlighted concerns over the welfare of Ugandan soldiers deployed on foreign missions. Bunyole West MP James Waluswaka warned against the alleged mismanagement or diversion of allowances meant for troops serving abroad.
"Whoever attempts to interfere with the benefits of the men and women in uniform who will be serving this country should know that it will not be business as usual," Waluswaka warned.
Uganda has a long record of participating in regional and international peace support operations, including missions in Somalia, South Sudan, the Central African Republic and the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. The Defence Minister assured Parliament that the deployment to Gaza would be strictly a peacekeeping mission and that Ugandan troops would return home once stability had been restored.
With Parliament's approval now secured, Uganda is set to join the international stabilization force in the Gaza Strip, marking what could become one of the country's most significant peacekeeping deployments outside the African continent.