Museveni commissions $53 million Russian military repair facility
The new facility in Jinja aims to boost Uganda's capacity to maintain military equipment locally.
President Yoweri Museveni commissioned a $53 million military repair facility at Magamaga Cantonment in Jinja District on October 21, 2026. The facility, along with training infrastructure and marine security equipment, was provided through Uganda's defence cooperation with Russia. This development is intended to enhance the Uganda People’s Defence Forces' (UPDF) ability to service military vehicles and equipment within the country.
During the commissioning, President Museveni thanked Russian President Vladimir Putin and a Russian delegation led by Lt Gen Aleksandr Kshimovskii for the military assistance. He expressed a desire for Uganda to develop domestic manufacturing capacity, asking, “What if we made them here with the Russians?” The President stressed the importance of learning from defence partners to reduce reliance on imported equipment and foreign technical expertise.
The two-day engagement, which concluded on October 22, 2026, also included the launch of a digital multimedia training classroom for the BRDM-2MS armoured reconnaissance vehicle at the Mechanised Warfare College in Kalama. In Entebbe, marine operational assets and supporting infrastructure were commissioned, including surveillance radar and eight boats, to strengthen the UPDF’s marine operational capacity.
Why it mattersUganda's military will now have enhanced local capacity to maintain and repair its equipment, reducing reliance on foreign services.