Uganda’s security forces are set to converge in Gulu City for the 18th Inter-Forces Games and Shooting Championship, with organisers saying the two-week event will strengthen inter-agency cooperation, operational readiness and relations between security agencies and the public.
The games, scheduled for August 22 to September 5, 2026, will be hosted by the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) and bring together teams from the UPDF, Uganda Police Force (UPF), Uganda Prisons Service (UPS) and Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA).
According to Col. Henry Obbo, Deputy Defence Public Information Officer, participating teams will assemble on August 22, ahead of the official opening ceremony on August 24 at St. Joseph’s College, Layibi, in Gulu City.
The closing ceremony will be held at the same venue on September 4, while participating teams are expected to leave the venues on September 5.
Obbo said the competition is designed not only to promote sporting excellence but also to enhance physical fitness, discipline and operational preparedness among security personnel.
He said the games will also provide an opportunity for officers from the different agencies to interact outside their routine duties, promote healthy lifestyles and stress management, and identify sporting talent that can be nurtured within the security services.
The competition will feature men’s football, volleyball and handball, as well as women’s netball. Other disciplines include athletics, taekwondo, darts and range shooting for both men and women.
Despite the competitive nature of the games, the UPDF said the event should not be viewed as a contest to establish which security agency is superior.
Instead, the organisers said, the games are intended to build teamwork, strengthen institutional relationships and promote a shared sense of purpose among Uganda’s security agencies.
Assistant Commissioner of Police Rusoke Kituuma, the Uganda Police Force spokesperson, also used the event to dismiss perceptions that security agencies have generally poor relations with civilians.
Kituuma acknowledged that there have been isolated incidents of friction between security personnel and members of the public, but said such incidents should not be used to define the broader relationship between security forces and communities.
He said the Inter-Forces Games offer an opportunity to deepen engagement and rebuild trust wherever relationships may have weakened.
“This particular clarion call is even to cement our relationship further. If there is anywhere where the relationship is lacking, this would be the best opportunity to build it,” Kituuma said.
He added that security personnel, like other professionals, need opportunities to interact, compete and develop their talents beyond their routine assignments.
According to Kituuma, such engagements can also create informal spaces where security officers and civilians interact, helping to strengthen mutual understanding and cooperation.
The organisers have invited members of the public in Gulu and surrounding areas to attend the competitions, which will be open to spectators free of charge.
They said public participation will be an important part of the event, particularly in using sport as a platform to promote civil-military relations and strengthen community engagement.
The games are held on a rotational basis among the participating security agencies. The 17th edition was hosted by the Uganda Police Force in 2023, while the UPDF is taking its turn as host this year.
The UPDF has also ruled out concerns that hosting the games could compromise its primary responsibility of safeguarding Uganda’s territorial integrity.
Lieutenant Colonel John Andrew Kuru, head of sports in the UPDF, said the force has mechanisms to ensure that sporting activities do not interfere with military operations.
He noted, however, that some of the force’s most talented athletes may not participate because they are undertaking military courses or are deployed on operational assignments.
Kuru said the military has continued to use sports as one of the avenues for identifying and developing talent, with some athletes who emerged through security forces competitions going on to represent Uganda at national and international level.
The organisers said the 18th edition will therefore serve a dual purpose: improving the physical and mental wellbeing of security personnel while using sport to reinforce cooperation between institutions that play complementary roles in maintaining Uganda’s security.
With Gulu hosting the event, the security agencies also hope the games will provide an opportunity to strengthen their visibility and interaction with communities in northern Uganda.
