Lt. Gen.Gutti gets fourth term as army court boss
The UPDF high command chaired by President Museveni has reappointed Lt.Gen Andrew Gutti as the General Court Martial chairman to serve for his fourth term.
Gutti’s third term that he got in June 2018 was about to end but according to the UPDF spokesperson, Brig.Richard Karemire, the term was extended.
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The term for other 17 army court members was also extended according to the UPDF spokesperson.
The other court members are Maj General Joseph Arocha, Colonel Richard Tukacungurwa,( the Judge Advocate), Lt Colonel Medard Bagambe, Lt Col Raphael Mugisha (lead Prosecutor) Maj.John Bizimana(Secretary), Maj. Kamanda Silas Mutungi( Defense Counsel), Captain Wilfred Karugwara, Lt Faridah Amooti Kiiza and Warrant Officer I, Chrysostom John Kisembo.
Those on the reserve include Brig. George Etyang, Lt Col Henry Nevatone, Lt Col Sadler Katono, Lt Col Lydia Nandundu Lt Henry Bunalema, Lt Fatuma Njutti and Warrant Officer Paul Katende.
According to the UPDF Act 2005, the General Court Martial consists of a chairman who shall not be below the rank of a Lieutenant Colonel, senior officers, junior officers, a political commissar and a non -commissioned officer and these members are appointed by the High Command for a period of one year.
The army court prosecutors led by Lt.Col. Raphael Mugisha(middle).
Gen.Gutti was appointed in 2016 replacing the late Maj Gen Levi Karuhanga who died in May 2016.
As chairman Gutti was the man who sentenced notorious Boda boda 2010 patron Abdalla Kitatta to 10 years’ imprisonment after being found in illegal possession of fire arms and ammunition.
He has also handled a number of big cases including that of senior police officers; Senior Commissioner of Police Joel Aguma, and Senior Superintendent of Police Nickson Agasirwe accused of kidnapping and extraditing Lt.Joel Mutabazi, a former bodyguard to Rwanda president Paul Kagame.
Some of the members of the General Court Martial.
Lt.Gen. Gutti is also the man handling the trial of former Inspector General of Police, Gen.Kale Kayihura, former Flying Squad commander, Herbert Muhangi, he former cyber-crime head Richard Ndaboine, former crime intelligence director Col Ndahura Atwooki, former Professional Standards Unit Commander Good Mwesigwa and Lt Col Peter Musherure, the former deputy police director of crime intelligence among other former police officers over charges related to issuing of fire arms unlawfully.
About Lt.Gen.Gutti
Gen Gutti who joined the army in 1986 has served in the various positions in the last 30 years.
Gen Gutti served as commander of the African Union Mission (AMISOM) in Somalia, taking over from Maj.Gen. Fred Mugisha during whose tenure, AMISOM helped to uproot the Al-Shabaab militia from fixed positions in Mogadishu.
Prior to the appointment, he was the commandant of the Uganda Senior Command and Staff College at Kimaka, Jinja, a position he still holds.
He also served as the 3rd division commander and Chief of Operation and Training in the Uganda Peoples Defence Forces-UPDF
In 2004, Gutti was promoted to the rank of Brigadier and appointed chief of training after the army court cleared him of charges related to creation of ghost soldiers while still serving as the commander for the third infantry division.
In 2005, Gutti replaced then Brig.Henry Tumukunde as an army representative in parliament and between 2008 and 2011, he rose to the rank of Major General and also appointed commandant for the Senior Command and Staff College, Kimaka.
In 2012, he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant General and deployed to Mogadishu as the overall AMSOM commander until 2013.
