Gen Muhoozi Releases Retired Brig Gen Bakahumura, Vows to Repair Broken Relations

What the report says

KAMPALA — Uganda’s Chief of Defence Forces, Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, has ordered the immediate release of retired Brig. Gen. Charles Bakahumura from military detention, according to Watchdog Uganda. In a post on his official X account on 31 October 2026, Muhoozi said the move was intended to help mend relations that had been strained in the past.

Bakahumura is a long-serving Uganda People’s Defence Forces officer with 35 years in the military. Watchdog Uganda reported that he was among 19 generals retired at a State House Entebbe ceremony on 20 August 2026, presided over by President Yoweri Museveni. He was then taken into detention in early September, shortly after retiring.

The retired officer previously held senior roles, including chief of military intelligence, now known as Defence Intelligence and Security, from 2012 to 2017, and chief of logistics and engineering. He also served as Uganda’s defence attaché to Turkey. The report notes that he has a master’s degree in defence studies from King’s College London and other qualifications from Makerere University.

Watchdog Uganda said the announcement came days after a similar decision involving another retired senior officer who had been held in military detention. At the time of publication, the UPDF had not issued a formal statement and military spokespersons were unavailable for comment. The development is significant because it suggests an effort by the military leadership to reset relations with some recently retired senior officers.