Chief of Defence Forces Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba has ordered the release of former Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence director Brig Gen (rtd) Charles Bakahumura following his detention in connection with a widening military probe into alleged treachery and false intelligence.
Gen Muhoozi announced the decision on Saturday via his official X handle, indicating a shift toward mending rifts within the top ranks of the armed forces.
“I have decided to release General Bakahumura from detention today. We shall repair the relations that were broken in the past,” Gen Muhoozi posted on October 31, 2026.
Brig Gen Bakahumura was arrested alongside another former military intelligence chief, Maj Gen (rtd) Abel Kandiho, as part of an extensive inquiry sanctioned by Gen Muhoozi.
Military sources confirmed that both retired officers were picked up by security personnel less than three weeks after their official retirement from active service, having been among the 19 generals retired during a State House ceremony on August 20, 2026.
Bakahumura served as the head of CMI-now restructured as Defence Intelligence and Security (DIS)-from 2012 to 2017. Following his tenure at the helm of military intelligence, he was appointed Chief of Logistics and Engineering, a position he held for seven years, making him its longest-serving chief.
The security crackdown follows heightened scrutiny triggered by videos of retired generals celebrating their retirement at State House Entebbe.
The public celebrations prompted sharp criticism from the military commander, who questioned the officers’ conduct during the formal send-off presided over by President Yoweri Museveni.
“I think from now it’s forbidden for generals to dance too much next to State House. We are investigating all the generals who were dancing too much. They will be arrested soon,” Gen Muhoozi stated online shortly after the footage surfaced, adding in a subsequent post, “This is NONSENSE! And ALL involved will be arrested! They were dancing because they were happy to be free of UPDF?”
Earlier on Saturday, the CDF hinted at ongoing operations targeting high-ranking officers, writing that one of the “dancing Generals” had been captured, with another expected to follow.
The wider investigation has already swept through the military’s intelligence hierarchy, leading to the arrest and prosecution of several high-ranking officers.
Former DIS chief Maj Gen James Birungi, Director of Counter-Terrorism Col Peter Ahimbisibwe, and Director of Special Operations Lt Col Ephraim Byaruhanga have all been detained.
Birungi and Byaruhanga have since been charged with treachery before the General Court Martial and remanded to Makindye Military Police Barracks.
Sources familiar with the inquiry indicate that investigators are pursuing additional individuals connected to the case file.
At the time of publication, the UPDF had not issued a formal press statement regarding the status of the remaining detainees, and military spokesperson contacts were unavailable for comment.