Former Uganda Military Intelligence Chief Maj. Gen. James Birungi to Face Court Martial Today

Former Chief of Military Intelligence (CMI) Maj. Gen. James Birungi is expected to appear before Uganda's General Court Martial today (Monday) to face charges of treason, terrorism, corruption and murder, nearly a year after his arrest and detention at Makindye Military Police Prison. Birungi was arrested in August 2025 following a high-level military investigation into a series of suspected improvised explosive device (IED) incidents in and around Kampala. The bomb threats were initially blamed on the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), but investigators later questioned the credibility of some

Former Chief of Military Intelligence (CMI) Maj. Gen. James Birungi is expected to appear before Uganda's General Court Martial today (Monday) to face charges of treason, terrorism, corruption and murder, nearly a year after his arrest and detention at Makindye Military Police Prison. Birungi was arrested in August 2025 following a high-level military investigation into a series of suspected improvised explosive device (IED) incidents in and around Kampala. The bomb threats were initially blamed on the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), but investigators later questioned the credibility of some of the alleged incidents and the intelligence reports linking them to the rebel group. According to ChimpReports, a board of inquiry led by Deputy Chief of Defence Forces Lt. Gen. Sam Okiding uncovered what investigators described as compromised intelligence operations, manipulated threat assessments and other irregularities within the Defence Intelligence and Security (DIS) directorate. The report states that the inquiry recommended criminal proceedings against Birungi and several other officers. Military authorities have not publicly released the evidence supporting the charges, and it remains unclear how the allegations of treason, terrorism, corruption and murder relate to the alleged intelligence breaches. Birungi previously headed the Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI), now known as Defence Intelligence and Security (DIS), where he oversaw some of Uganda's most sensitive intelligence and counter-terrorism operations. His arrest sent shockwaves through Uganda's security establishment, becoming the first known prosecution of a former CMI chief on such serious charges. The expected court appearance follows the appointment of a new panel of the General Court Martial by President Yoweri Museveni, allowing several pending military cases to proceed. Neither Birungi nor his lawyers had publicly commented on the allegations at the time of publication.