Witness Accuses Former Deputy CMI Chief Rugumayo of Torturing Him to Implicate Gen Birungi

What the report says

A former Allied Democratic Forces recruit, Hamza Lyavala, told Uganda’s General Court Martial in Makindye that Brigadier General Abdul Rugumayo, a former deputy chief of military intelligence, pressured and allegedly tortured him to make statements implicating detained General James Birungi in bomb-related accusations. The testimony came during proceedings involving Lieutenant Colonel Ephraim Byaruhanga and centered on alleged staged attacks in Kampala, including Munyonyo and Kalerwe.

According to Nile Post’s report, Lyavala said Rugumayo wanted him to claim that Birungi had provided Shs10 million to finance the alleged operations. He testified that he refused because the claims were untrue, and that his original statement was torn up and replaced after questioning at the Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence in Mbuya. Lyavala said several intelligence officers interviewed him over multiple days in June 2025 and that the interrogation lasted three days.

The witness also described his own path from the ADF to acting as a government informer, saying he later provided information to authorities after being connected to senior officials. He said that intelligence he shared helped lead to arrests and weapons recoveries. The allegations against Rugumayo remain unproven claims made in court, but the testimony adds another layer to an already sensitive terrorism-related case involving former rebel activity, alleged informers, and senior security officials.