Beneath the stained glasses of Our Lady of Sorrows Cathedral Kitovu, the air was heavy with incense and reverence.
Uniforms gleamed beneath vaulted arches as the faithful and the decorated gathered—not for war, but for worship.
There, at the altar of humility, Maj. Gen. Deus Karachi Sande, commander of the Kagijjagirwa Armoured Division, knelt not before generals, but before God, to give thanks for a journey carved in sweat, steel, and silent prayer.
Once a Brigadier, now a Major General, Sande’s name has been etched into the higher echelons of the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF).
But on this day, his stars shone brightest under the light of gratitude and grace.
The holy Mass, celebrated by Rev. Fr. Charles Jude Jjuuko on behalf of Bishop Severus Jjumba, was no ordinary liturgy.
It was a symphony of sacred and state, a blending of rifle and rosary.
The Church rejoiced in one of its own—a soldier who never left the sanctuary even as he traversed Somalia, Kabamba, Jinja, and beyond.
“He has walked the path of duty without losing sight of the altar,” said Fr. Jjuuko, a testament to Sande’s spiritual spine amid the rigors of command.
In the pews sat ministers, generals, city fathers, and market vendors—each a thread in the fabric of celebration.
Ms. Reginah Nalubega Kitaka, voice of the diocese’s laity, praised the armoured ranks not just for their firepower, but for their fellowship.
“Through bricks and blessings, you’ve helped build our churches,” she said. “May all who wear uniform also wear faith.”
As clouds parted over Masaka, the celebration rolled to the shores of Nabugabo Sand Beach, where laughter danced on the lake and old comrades shared stories etched in dust and devotion.
There, before friends and family, Maj. Gen. Sande spoke with the humility of a man whose boots know both battlefield and sanctuary:
“This rank is not mine alone,” he said. “It belongs to Masaka, to the Armoured Division, and above all, to the mercy of the Lord. We have brought peace—now let it be cherished.”
Harunah Kasolo, State Minister for Microfinance, recalled a region once splintered by politics, now stitched with peace under Sande’s watch.
“Today, soldiers take Holy Communion,” he noted. “That is the Army we celebrate.”
Brig. Gen. Augustine Kyazze spoke as brother-in-arms: “I met him in 1990—a quiet man with a commander’s fire.
We rose together, from privates to generals. His star was always destined to rise.”
Col. Griffin Kantinti, on behalf of the Division’s senior staff, invoked prayers for wisdom and strength as Sande now commands not just tanks, but trust.
And from the heart of the business sector, Eng. Benon Mugalula gave thanks for the security that shields trade and toil. “Where there is peace, enterprise blooms,” he said.
They were joined by former Defence Minister Hon. Vincent Ssempijja, State Minister Aisha Sekindi, MPs, security chiefs, and community leaders, their voices forming a chorus of gratitude to the Commander-in-Chief Gen. Yoweri Museveni and Army Commander Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba for recognizing service not just in battlefields, but in hearts.
A Rank Woven with Legacy
The rank of Major General is no mere title. It is a badge worn by those who lead with both might and meaning.
In Masaka, it now belongs to a son of the soil, a soldier of soul, and a shepherd of men.
And so, under Masaka’s sunlit skies and Kitovu’s solemn bells, a nation saluted not just a promotion, but a promise—that its defenders, like Sande, can hold both sword and psalm, and rise in honor before both man and Maker.
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