The Chief of Defence Forces, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, has ordered the arrest of the UPDF and Defence ministry's Chief of Communication and Information Technology over allegations of spying for a member state of the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
According to journalist Andrew Mwenda, the officer he did not name was detained after allegedly receiving $300,000 (about Shs1.1 billion) from an undisclosed SADC country to monitor army communications.
Mr Mwenda, who has increasingly been seen as a conduit for Gen Muhoozi’s communications on social media, said the detained officer later returned the money to the UPDF following his arrest.
"Been talking to the CDF, Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, about his struggle to clean up corruption in UPDF and the Ministry of Defence generally," Mwenda posted.
"He would like to inform Ugandans that the army arrested the Chief of Communications and IT (CCIT) of UPDF because he had been paid $300,000 by a SADC country to monitor army communications. After his arrest, he paid all the money back to UPDF."
The UPDF Chief of Communication and IT is Colonel Patrick Ssemakula.
The Defence Ministry and the UPDF have yet to issue an official statement on the matter. Deputy spokesperson Col Deo Akiiki declined to comment, stating that he would not respond to unofficial reports.
Efforts to reach acting Defence spokesperson Maj Gen Felix Kulayigye were unsuccessful.
The allegation of espionage comes at a time of heightened tensions in the region, with SADC forces facing intense resistance in eastern DR Congo.
The SADC's joint mission, SAMIDRC, is battling M23 rebels, who have captured the strategic North Kivu capital of Goma and signalled their intent to push further southward toward Kinshasa.
South Africa has openly accused Rwanda of backing M23, escalating diplomatic strains within the Great Lakes region.
Uganda, which has its own military presence in DR Congo under Operation Shuja, is also deeply invested in the region's security, making the current instability a direct concern.
Last week, the UPDF announced plans to realign its forces in eastern DR Congo, further underlining the sensitivity of military operations at this time.
The allegations of espionage by a SADC member could complicate Uganda’s position within regional security dynamics and strain relations with the bloc.