Da Dona
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- Dec 16, 2025
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The General Court Martial sitting at Makindye has remanded former military intelligence chief Maj Gen James Birungi on charges of treachery and offences relating to security, nearly a year after his arrest over allegations that he fabricated intelligence reports to facilitate the fraudulent acquisition of government funds.
Birungi, the former Director of the Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI), now known as the Directorate of Intelligence and Security (DIS), appeared before a panel chaired by Brig Gen Richard Tukacungurwa on Monday. He was formally charged almost a year after being taken into custody in August 2025.
According to prosecution allegations, •Birungi generated false intelligence reports relating to counterfeit fuel and suspected suicide bombers, allegedly enabling the fraudulent release of government funds. The allegations had remained under investigation until his arraignment. They have not yet been tested in court.
Birungi appeared alongside three other Uganda People's Defence Forces (UPDF) officers who, according to court proceedings, face separate murder charges connected to the fatal shootings of suspected suicide bombers during different security operations. The incidents include;
•shooting of a woman riding on a motorcycle near Kalerwe Market and a man near the Catholic Shrine in Munyonyo during the Uganda Martyrs Day celebrations.
The identities of the three officers had not been officially confirmed at the time of publication, although one was identified only as Byaruhanga.
Security was heightened during the court session, with journalists barred from photographing the accused or reporting from inside the courtroom. Maj Alex Echeru, the officer in charge of the Makindye Military Barracks prison cells, led the escort team and enforced the restrictions on media access.
The General Court Martial remanded Birungi and his co-accused to Makindye Military Barracks until August 3, 2026, when they are expected to return for further proceedings.
Birungi's prosecution comes months after Chief of Defence Forces Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba removed him as commander of the Mountain Infantry Division, barely two months after appointing him to the position. Earlier, on April 16, 2025, Birungi had been transferred from the Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence in a reshuffle that saw Maj Gen Richard Otto take over the intelligence docket.
The former intelligence chief is also listed among the prosecution witnesses in the ongoing treason case against opposition leader Dr Kizza Besigye, Hajji Obeid Lutale Kamulegeya and Capt Denis Oola.
The charge of treachery is among the gravest offences under Uganda's military justice system and carries severe penalties, including the possibility of a death sentence upon conviction.
The case is scheduled to resume on August 3, 2026. As the proceedings continue, Birungi and his co-accused remain presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
Source: Observer
