KAMPALA — Senior Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) officer Don Nabasa has been released from detention after Chief of Defence Forces Muhoozi Kainerugaba announced that all charges against him had been dropped following a meeting between the two military leaders.
The development was confirmed on Thursday by Gen. Muhoozi in a statement shared on X, where he said the decision followed what he described as a long and productive discussion with the former Special Forces Command (SFC) commander.
“I’m glad to announce, after a long meeting with Maj. General Don Nabasa, today I have decided to release him and drop all the charges he was facing,” Gen. Muhoozi said. He also thanked Nabasa for his service in the UPDF since joining the force in 1998.
Maj. Gen. Nabasa was arrested in March alongside Brig. Gen. Johnson Namanya Abaho, during an internal military crackdown linked to alleged corruption-related offences within the UPDF. The arrests were reportedly ordered by Gen. Muhoozi as part of a wider accountability drive targeting misconduct and corruption in the armed forces.
At the time of his arrest, Nabasa was serving as Joint Staff for Policy and Strategy in the UPDF. He had previously held several high-profile military positions, including commander of the elite Special Forces Command, commander of the Military Police, and leader of Ugandan troops serving under the African Union mission in Somalia.
Military reports indicate that Nabasa and Brig. Gen. Namanya were initially interrogated at Mbuya before being transferred to the Special Forces Command detention facility in Kasenyi along Entebbe Road.
Although the UPDF has not publicly disclosed the specific allegations that had been levelled against Nabasa, his detention attracted significant attention within military and political circles due to his seniority and long service record.
His release comes weeks after Brig. Gen. Namanya was also freed following a separate meeting with the Chief of Defence Forces, during which he was cleared of allegations and allowed to resume his military duties.
Analysts say the decision to drop the charges against Nabasa signals a possible reconciliation within the military leadership and highlights the continued restructuring efforts being undertaken under Gen. Muhoozi’s command. Since assuming the role of Chief of Defence Forces, Muhoozi has overseen a series of internal reforms, disciplinary actions and command changes aimed at strengthening accountability within the UPDF.
Nabasa’s release ends months of uncertainty surrounding one of the UPDF’s most experienced commanders and clears the way for his return to public life after a detention that had sparked widespread speculation across the country.
