Gen. Kainerugaba Joins African Leaders At Gabon’s 66th Independence Anniversary Celebrations

Uganda’s Chief of Defence Forces, Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, joined several African heads of state in Gabon’s capital on Monday to mark the country’s 66th Independence Anniversary celebrations.

Gen. Kainerugaba attended celebrations at the invitation of Gabonese President Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema. The Ugandan General’s delegation included State Minister for Agriculture Desire Muhooza, Maj. Gen. Henry Masiko, and Brig. Gen. Wycliff Keita.

Following the conclusion of the independence celebrations parade and rituals, Gen. Kainerugaba held private talks with the Gabonese president.

Gen. Kainerugaba’s visit comes amid strengthening diplomatic relations between Uganda and Gabon. President Nguema visited Uganda in August 2024 and later returned in May 2026 for President Museveni’s inauguration.

The celebrations were attended by other African leaders including President Félix Tshisekedi of the Democratic Republic of Congo, President Alassane Ouattara of Côte d’Ivoire, President Carlos Vila Nova of São Tomé and Príncipe, President Umaro Sissoco Embaló of Guinea-Bissau, and President Adama Barrow of The Gambia.

The celebrations mark Gabon’s independence from French colonial rule, achieved on August 17, 1960.

A highlight of the celebrations was the inauguration of the Esplanade Georges Damas Aléka, a monument dedicated to Georges Aleka Damas (1902–1982), who wrote both the lyrics and music for Gabon’s national anthem, “La Concorde.” The anthem’s verses have been engraved on the pillars of the newly inaugurated esplanade.