President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has appointed Major Joseph Ssebukeera as the Commanding Officer of the newly established 155 Marines Battalion, following the reorganisation of the Fisheries Protection Unit (FPU) into a formal Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (UPDF) marine combat unit.
The appointment was announced in a statement issued by the Acting Director of Defence Public Information, Col Chris Magezi, after a directive by the President and Commander-in-Chief of the UPDF.
“The Fisheries Protection Unit is hereby renamed the 155 Marines Battalion and will operate under the command and administration of the UPDF Marines Brigade,” the statement said. “Major Joseph Ssebukeera has been appointed Commanding Officer of the newly formed battalion.”
The 155 Marines Battalion will fall under the UPDF Marines Brigade commanded by Brigadier Michael Nyarwa.
Maj Ssebukeera is a seasoned UPDF officer with extensive experience in marine operations, training, and lake security. He has served as Commandant of the Marine Training Wing at Butiaba in Buliisa District on the shores of Lake Albert, where he oversaw the training of specialised units involved in waterborne and amphibious operations.
In March 2022, he presided over the pass-out of officers from the External Security Organisation who completed basic military training under his command.
He has also previously been associated with fisheries protection operations, including engagements aimed at curbing illegal fishing and managing cross-border security challenges on Uganda’s lakes, giving him firsthand experience in the sector now being restructured.
Meanwhile, Lt Col Mercy Tukahirwa, the outgoing commander of the FPU, has been redeployed to the office of the Senior Presidential Advisor on Defence and Security, Lt Gen (Rtd) Proscovia Nalweyiso.
