General Aronda Nyakairima is a Ugandan Army officer. He is the current Chief of Defense Forces of Uganda, the highest military rank in the Uganda People's Defense Force. He was born in 1959, in Rukungiri District.

Education[link]

He attended Kitgum High School in Kitgum District. He joined Makerere University in 1978, graduating in 1981, with the degree of Bachelor of Arts in political science. He attended the Basic Officers Course in 1989, after the NRA had captured power in Kampala, Uganda's capital city. He later attended a course in Strategic Studies at Fort Leavenworth in Kansas, USA. He also has further military qualifications from Egyptian Military Academy in Cairo.^[1]

Military career[link]

He joined the National Resistance Army in 1982, soon after leaving Makerere. After the NRA captured power, he worked as an intelligence officer in the Ugandan military. He later was appointed Assistant Director in the Directorate of Military Intelligence in the Uganda People's Defense Force (UPDF). He was then transferred to the Presidential Protection Unit as an Intelligence Officer. From there, he served as the Commanding Officer of the Armored Brigade before his appointment as Commander of the UPDF in 2003. He has represented the UPDF in the Ugandan Parliament since 1996.^[2]

In October 2010, General Nyakairima was inducted into the International Hall of Fame at the Lewis and Clark Centre at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, United States of America, for attaining the highest position in the military of his country. Nyakairima, a 1993 graduate of Fort Leavenworth, was inducted together with General Eui Don Wang of South Korea, a 1986 graduate of the command college, and Major General Richard Rhys Jones of New Zealand, a 1992 graduate.^[3]

Personal details[link]

General Aronda Nyakairima is married. He does not drink or smoke. He is fluent in multiple languages including:

• Luganda
• English
• Luo
• Runyankole/Rukiga
• Swahili

References[link]

External links[link]

• Profile at Uganda Parliament Website
• Profile at New Vision Newspaper
• Ft. Leavenworth Honors Three Foreign Generals

See also[link]

• Salim Saleh
• Elly Tumwine
• Mugisha Muntu
• Jeje Odongo
• James Kazini
• Uganda People's Defense Force

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Aronda is a village in the [[Sindhudurg distr[1] ict]], Maharashtra state, India. Aronda is famous for cashew nuts, mangoes, jack fruit, Kokum, and rice. Aronda is a port on the boundary of Goa and Maharashtra. Aronda is next to Terekhol River, and has many ancient temples such as the Sateri Bhadrakali, Garudi temple, and Kulkar temple.

The original name of the village Aronda is Aravande. It is taught that the name Aravande is derived from Aravind, which means lotus. There is one lake between the Shri Sateri, Bhadrakali, and Ravalnath temples called Devtale. The myth goes that all Gods and Goddesses are taking bath in it. This lake is full of red lotuses, and as such, the name of village is Aravande.

Devi Bhadrakali gramdevata of Aronda

The Aronda High School building is situated on a small hill at the entrance of the village. This building was built at the beginning of 19th Century by H.H. Khem Sawant, also known as Bapusaheb Maharaj, then king of Sawantwadi Sansthan. Many notable educators, journalists, doctors, lawyers, and entrepreneurs have come from this high school. Dr. B.S.Kerkar is from this place. Also located in the village is a very old library named Mahatma Gandhi Valchan Mandir. It was established on 2 October 1948, and has many old and new books. This vachanalya is managed by Aronda Gamonnati Mandal, a social registered organization established in 1947, in Mumbai, by Rao Bahaddur Rege and other notable worthy sons of Aronda for the welfare of residents of Aronda. This organization is still very active.

Aronda is situated at the south of Maharashtra on the Goa border. The Terekhol river (an inlet) is towards the south, which is famous for sea food, (especially lady fish, also known as Mudishi), and shell fish (Khube). Towards the north, there are small hills full of big greenaries and trees of various types including cashews, mangos, and jackfruits. Port Redi, a neighboring village, is famous for its iron ore mines and its Ganpati temple. Aronda was one of several minor ports of Maharashtra directly connected to the Arabian Sea in mid 20th century. This was an important port, and goods from Mumbai and south India were transported through this port. Even today, unused warehouses are the sign of the golden days of Aronda.

Every year on Margashish Suddha Chaturthi, there is Jatra Utsav of Santeri Bhadrakali in temple area. Original residents of Aronda come from all over India on this day for the blessing of Goddesses. Fireworks in this ustav is one of the well known event of this Jatrotsav.