Brigadier-General Richard Tukachungurwa, the military officer who clashed with human rights lawyer Eron Kiiza during the 2025 treason trial of opposition politician Dr Kizza Besigye, has been promoted to Head of the General Court Martial.
The November 25 appointment by the Chief of Defence Forces, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, sees Brig Tukachungurwa replace Brigadier Robert Freeman Mugabe, whose second one-year term expired on June 9.
Gen Muhoozi made the appointment in his capacity as the head of the UPDF Establishment that gave the CDF full command powers that were previously the preserve of the Commander-in-Chief.
As Judge Advocate during the trial (advisor to the court), Tukachungurwa oversaw proceedings in which lawyer Kiiza was physically prevented from taking his place among the defence counsel, arrested in court, and summarily convicted of contempt of court—receiving a nine-month prison sentence.
The two had clashed repeatedly in the tense days past with the military officer warning that the human rights lawyer would face the full wrath of the law if he continued to defy the court martial.
Kiiza was attending a session at the General Court Martial in Makindye on January 7, 2025, as part of Besigye’s legal defence team, when soldiers blocked him from entering the lawyers’ section.
In response, he shouted and banged on the courtroom barricade. Military personnel. Gen Tukachungurwa's patience snapped. He ordered Kiiza arrested, and without a formal hearing or opportunity to defend himself, the court martial convicted him of contempt and sentenced him to Kitalya Prison.
He spent roughly 88 days in custody before being granted bail on 4 April 2025, pending appeal.
Reacting to the appointment, Dr Besigye's lawyer Samson Wanda said: "We had heard of this in rumours and we are not shocked by the appointment. However we do not believe the Chairperson will do justice to that Court looking at his conduct when he was Judge Advocate. We believe he will be serving the interests of the state in this court rather than Justice.
"We are hopeful that they will restrict their jurisdiction to the trial of disciplinary offences and not regular offences which should be tried in the ordinary courts."
The new appointments follow consultations with the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) and are made under Sections 192, 193, and 195 of the UPDF Act, as amended.
On January 31, 2025, Supreme Court of Uganda delivered a landmark ruling declaring that military courts — including the General Court Martial (GCM) and other such tribunals — lacked the constitutional authority to try civilians, ordering that all civilian‑involved cases be transferred immediately to ordinary civil courts.
However, the government quickly moved to ament the laws and on May 20, 2025, Parliament controversially passed the Uganda Peoples' Defence Forces (Amendment) Act, 2025, and the law was signed by President Museveni, restoring military court powers to try civilians under certain “exceptional circumstances.”
New Leadership and Composition
The General Court Martial, which handles serious offenses under the UPDF Act, will now include the following members:
- Colonel Simon Tusah Wankandya
- Cololnel Asha Patra
- Colonel Fredrick Kangwamu
- Colonel Raphael Mugisha
- Lieutenant-Colone Mohammedie Nasser Igambi
- Major Samuel Moses Amodoi
- Major Emmanuel Arihaihi
- Major Abubaker Nyombi
- Major Denis Chemtai
Division Court Martial Chairpersons Named
Gen Muhoozi also named new Chairpersons for key Division Court Martials, which try cases at the regional level.
The appointments aim to ensure the efficient running of justice across the UPDF's operational areas.
The newly appointed Division Court Martial Chairpersons include:
- Lieutenant-Colonel David Drani Epalu - For the Fourth Division
- Lieutenant-Colonel Yaqoub Hassan Mulyanti - For the One Special Forces Group
The appointments take immediate effect, signalling the President’s commitment to maintaining a robust and functional military justice system within the Uganda People's Defence Force (UPDF).