Gen Kainerugaba Cracks Down on Senior Military Chiefs  in widening Internal Purge

Kampala, Uganda — Two senior Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) officers, Major General Don William Nabasa and Brigadier General Johnson Namanya Abaho are in custody at the Kasenyi military installation following directives issued by the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), General Muhoozi Kainerugaba.

Highly placed military sources said the two officers were picked up in what appears to be part of a wider internal operation within the army’s command structure.

Details surrounding the reasons for their detention remain unclear, as the UPDF has not issued an official statement.

Their arrest brings to three the number of senior officers currently in custody, joining Major General James Birungi, the former Director General of Defence Intelligence, who was earlier last year detained under undisclosed circumstances.

The developments come amid a fresh shake-up within the military’s intelligence apparatus.

Sources told us that Brigadier General Abdul Rugumayo has been dismissed from his position as Deputy Chief of Military Intelligence where he served under the Chief of Defence Intelligence and Security (CDIS).

He has been replaced by Brigadier General Oscar Munanura in a move described by insiders as part of an ongoing restructuring aimed at strengthening oversight and command within the intelligence services.

Security pundits say the arrests and leadership changes point to a deepening reorganisation within the UPDF particularly in its intelligence wing which plays a central role in both domestic and regional security operations.

Efforts to obtain a formal comment from the UPDF spokesperson were unsuccessful by press time. However, military observers note that such actions often signal internal disciplinary measures or strategic realignments within the force.