Maj Gen Birungi remanded over alleged false terror reports

Former military intelligence chief Maj Gen James Birungi has been remanded to Makindye Military Barracks after appearing before the General Court Martial on charges of treachery and offences relating to security.

Birungi appeared before a panel chaired by Brig Gen Richard Tukacungurwa at the General Court Martial in Makindye on Monday, nearly a year after he was arrested in August 2025.

He was brought to court at about 10:37am alongside three other officers of the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF), who, according to Uganda Radio Network (URN), are facing separate murder charges linked to the fatal shooting of suspected suicide bombers during different security operations.

The incidents under investigation include the shooting of a woman riding on a motorcycle near Kalerwe Market and a man near the Catholic Shrine in Munyonyo during the annual Uganda Martyrs Day celebrations.

The identities of the three officers had not been officially confirmed by the time of publication, although one of them was identified only as Byaruhanga.

Journalists were 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, who led the security escort, stopped members of the media from covering the proceedings.

The court remanded Birungi and his co-accused until August 3, 2026, when they are expected to return for further proceedings.

Birungi previously served as director of the Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI), now known as the Directorate of Intelligence and Security (DIS).

He was transferred from CMI on April 16, 2025, during a military reshuffle that saw him exchange positions with Maj Gen Richard Otto, before being appointed commander of the Mountain Infantry Division.

However, Chief of Defence Forces Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba removed him from that position barely two months later.

Birungi was arrested in August 2025 amid allegations that he submitted false intelligence reports concerning counterfeit fuel and suspected suicide bombers to facilitate the fraudulent acquisition of government funds.

Those allegations had not previously been tested in court before Monday’s arraignment.

He is also listed as one of the state witnesses in the treason case involving Dr Kizza Besigye, Hajji Obeid Lutale Kamulegeya and Capt Denis Oola, who are accused of plotting to overthrow the government.

The treachery charges now facing Birungi carry severe penalties under Ugandan law, including the possibility of the death sentence if he is convicted.