Muhoozi recoups UGX 2 trillion from the corrupt

The Chief of Defence Forces, Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, has revealed that his efforts to stamp out graft in the Defence ministry resulted in recovering UGX 2 trillion.

Upon his appointment, Gen. Muhoozi promised a zero-tolerance policy for the corrupt including high-ranking officers who had relied on illicit proceeds to feather their nests.

Another high-ranking UPDF officer detained in Makindye

Commenting on the microblogging site X (formerly Twitter) on Friday, Gen. Muhoozi revealed in a post that, “In the past two years, of our command of the Ministry of Defence and Veteran Affairs (MODVA), we have saved our country more than two trillion shillings from being stolen. In the next year, we shall arrest all the thieves who were going to steal it. Foreigners are included.”

The reputation of the Defence ministry, which oversees the UPDF, has in the past been sullied with corruption scandals, including the purchase of junk helicopters and ill-fitting uniforms and gumboots.

A number of high-ranking officers, including the former head of the Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence, Maj. Gen. James Birungi and the former head of Special Forces Command, Maj. Gen. Don Nabasa, are being held on corruption-related charges at Makindye military barracks.

The General Court Martial was 8 January 2026 fully constituted and sworn in on, at the Supreme Court in Kampala. Led by Brig. Gen. Richard Tukachungurwa, this panel of legal professionals resumes operations following a hiatus after the 2025 Supreme Court ruling.

On January 31, 2025, Uganda’s highest appellate court ruled that the General Court Martial (GCM) cannot try civilians, declaring the practice unconstitutional. The court found military courts lack the independence and fairness required to try civilians, ordering an immediate transfer of all active cases to ordinary civilian courts.

It is not clear yet when the trial of several military officers currently detained will commence before the GCM.

Since taking over the CDF reins in March of 2024, Gen. Muhoozi has run the rule over Uganda’s army, the UPDF, with a depth of imagination, ambition and sheer determination, which is very single-minded about defeating graft. This has resulted in a high-level purge whose last count had a little over 20 senior army officers under detention. The accusations that they face range from so-called “ghost” supplies to land grabbing.

The Uganda People’s Defence Air Force (UPDAF) has particularly found itself caught in the crosshairs, with its officers being called out for inflated procurement contracts for fuel and spare parts. Military ops such as the one in Somalia have also come under the microscope, with the diversion of soldiers’ food and fuel proving to be a pain point for a number of officers.

In his April 10 X post, Gen. Muhoozi disclosed that corruption in the army has dropped by 85 per cent since he took on the CDF reins. “There is corruption in our country, but I can assure all of you that in the Ministry of Defence and Veteran Affairs, it has reduced by 85% since we took command.”

Vox Populi could not readily verify the CDF’s claim, but anecdotal evidence suggests that the implementation of the UPDF Establishment Document 2021 has ensured that there is bite behind the bark. Observers say that the legislation, which President Museveni signed into law on 17 February 2024, has streamlined the command structure while unburdening the commander-in-chief.

The human resource manual that the legislation willed into existence since being officially gazetted on 5 April 2024 has facilitated faster action against errant officers, who are not in scant supply in the UPDF.

Muhoozi recoups UGX 2 trillion from the corrupt

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