JUBA, South Sudan (UGNEWSLINE) — Uganda’s military has opened new medical facilities at its base in South Sudan, expanding healthcare services for its deployed troops and potentially benefiting surrounding communities as Kampala continues its security involvement in the conflict-affected country.
The Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) inaugurated the facilities at its headquarters in Bilnyang, about 25 kilometres east of Juba, on Sunday, October 11, as part of activities marking Uganda’s 64th Independence Day.
The new facilities include a laboratory, an operating theatre, an antenatal room and a dental unit, according to the UPDF.
The expansion is intended to improve medical services for Ugandan soldiers and members of the neighbouring South Sudanese community.
However, details about the facilities’ capacity, staffing levels and the extent to which civilians will be able to access the services have not yet been made public.
Brigadier General Anthony Lukwago Mbuusi, commander of the UPDF joint task force in South Sudan, praised President Yoweri Museveni and the military leadership for supporting the operation financially and logistically.
He singled out Chief of Defence Forces General Muhoozi Kainerugaba for recognition.
Mbuusi also commended medical personnel for their commitment to patient care and efforts to reduce congestion in the wards.
He welcomed newly deployed staff and urged them to carry out their responsibilities diligently.
Senior and junior military officers attended the inauguration.
The development comes as Uganda maintains a significant security role in neighbouring South Sudan, where renewed fighting and fears of a return to civil war prompted President Salva Kiir to request military assistance from Kampala in March 2025.
Ugandan troops are deployed under Operation Mlinzi wa Kimya, with Kampala saying its intervention is intended to help stabilise the country.
Uganda has longstanding military and political ties with Kiir’s government and deployed troops during the civil war that erupted in December 2013.
Its continued involvement underscores the close security relationship between the two East African neighbours, whose stability has wider implications for the region.
However, the role of Ugandan forces in South Sudanese government military operations has attracted public scrutiny, placing the deployment within a broader debate over foreign military involvement in the country’s security affairs.
The opening of the new medical facilities adds a healthcare dimension to Uganda’s military presence, although the extent of their contribution to civilian healthcare remains unclear.
For communities near the Bilnyang base, access to the new services could prove significant if civilian patients are able to receive treatment.
