KAMPALA, Uganda — Former military intelligence chief Maj Gen James Birungi has been remanded by the General Court Martial at Makindye on charges of treachery and offences relating to national security, nearly a year after his arrest over allegations that he fabricated terrorism intelligence to fraudulently obtain government funds.
Birungi, the former head of the Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI), now known as the Directorate of Intelligence and Security (DIS), appeared before a panel chaired by Brig Gen Richard Tukacungurwa on Monday alongside three other Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) officers.
The court remanded all four to Makindye Military Barracks until August 3, 2026, when they are expected to return for further proceedings.
According to information presented before the military court, Birungi is accused of orchestrating false intelligence reports concerning suspected terrorist threats in Kampala in order to facilitate the fraudulent acquisition of government resources earmarked for security operations. Prosecutors allege that the fabricated intelligence led to fatal operations in which security personnel shot and killed civilians wrongly presented as suspected suicide bombers.
The allegations relate to two separate incidents: the fatal shooting of a woman travelling on a motorcycle near Kalerwe Market and the killing of a man near the Catholic Shrine in Munyonyo during the Uganda Martyrs Day celebrations. Authorities allege the victims were falsely identified as suspected suicide bombers to justify security expenditures. The accusations remain allegations before the court and have not been proven.
Although military authorities did not officially identify Birungi’s co-accused during the proceedings, reports indicate they include senior UPDF officers facing murder charges linked to the same operations. One of the officers has been identified in media reports as Lt Col Ephraim Byaruhanga, formerly Director of Special Operations.
Security at the General Court Martial was tight, with journalists reportedly barred from photographing the accused or reporting from inside the courtroom. Maj Alex Echeru, the officer in charge of Makindye Military Barracks prison cells, reportedly led the escort team that brought the suspects to court.
Birungi’s appearance in the dock marks a dramatic fall for one of Uganda’s most influential intelligence officers. He headed the former CMI before being transferred in April 2025 during a military reshuffle that saw Maj Gen Richard Otto take over the intelligence agency.
He was subsequently appointed commander of the Mountain Infantry Division but was removed from the position by Chief of Defence Forces Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba barely two months later before his arrest in August 2025.
The case also has wider political implications because Birungi is among the prosecution witnesses listed in the ongoing treason case against opposition leader Dr Kizza Besigye, Hajji Obeid Lutale Kamulegeya and Capt Denis Oola.
The three are accused by the state of plotting to overthrow the government, with prosecutors intending to rely on testimony from several serving and former military officers, including Birungi.
His own prosecution on treachery charges now places one of the state’s intended witnesses in a criminal trial involving allegations that carry severe penalties under military law, adding a new dimension to one of Uganda’s most closely watched security and political cases.
