Maj Iduli: UPDF denies abduction claims

The Uganda People's Defence Forces (UPDF) has dismissed claims made by the Uganda Law Society alleging that retired Major Ronald Iduli, a lawyer associated with opposition leader Dr. Col (Rtd) Kizza Besigye, had been abducted.

In a statement issued on December 11, 2024, UPDF Spokesperson Brig. Felix Kulaigye refuted the allegations, describing Iduli instead as a rent defaulter who has been threatening his landlord with violence.

Kulaigye criticized the Uganda Law Society for making such serious claims without conducting thorough investigations, emphasizing that the legal profession should operate with objectivity and professionalism.

“The facts surrounding the arrest of Maj (Rtd) Ronald Iduli were provided by SP Onyango, who is the Public Relations Officer of Kampala Metropolitan Police,” Kulaigye stated, underscoring the credibility of police reports.

According to the UPDF, Iduli has defaulted on rent for a period of ten months and reportedly escalated the situation by threatening his landlord with violence.

This conduct, the military said, is unacceptable regardless of an individual’s profession or status.

The statement further highlighted that during the arrest, police recovered military stores from Iduli’s possession, which is a violation of Uganda’s laws regarding the retention of military equipment post-retirement.

As a lawyer who once practiced law within the forces, Iduli is expected to be aware of these regulations, according to the UPDF.

“We condemn the conduct of Maj (Rtd) Iduli and urge the public to allow the police to carry out their investigations without political interference,” Kulaigye emphasized. He reiterated the UPDF’s commitment to upholding the law and supporting police in the case’s legal resolution.

The case is currently under investigation, and authorities are working to ensure that justice is served within the bounds of the law.

On Tuesday, police broke their silence regarding the arrest of Iduli.

Iduli is one of the lawyers lined up for Besigye’s defence at the General Court Martial, but his associates claimed he had gone missing.

Lawyer Eron Kiiza stated that security forces had raided Iduli’s home at around 5 a.m. and abducted him, taking him to an unknown destination.

In a statement on Tuesday afternoon, Kampala Metropolitan deputy police spokesperson, Patrick Onyango, said that around 9 a.m. on the same day, police in Wakiso received a report from Lydia Kirabira, 44, a nurse and resident of Kireka-Bbira village, in which she alleged that one of her tenants had threatened violence.

“According to the complainant, the suspect identified as Ronald Iduli, 50, a lawyer, had been renting a house from her for three years. However, he had defaulted on rent payments for the past ten months. Recently, the suspect began appearing in UPDF uniform threatening the landlord, prompting her to become suspicious,” Onyango said.

He noted that a joint operation by police and UPDF officers led to Iduli’s arrest. A search at his home resulted in the recovery of several items, including a pair of UPDF digital uniforms, a handbook on the law of war of armed forces, a certificate of discharge from UPDF dated 2016, and a pen labeled “People’s Front for Freedom.”

Onyango stated that the suspect is currently detained at Bulenga Police Station as inquiries continue.