In a dramatic turn of events within Uganda’s military top brass, the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, has announced that all charges against Major General Don William Nabasa have been dropped.
The high-ranking general was released immediately following months of military detention.
The breakthrough reportedly came after a marathon, closed-door meeting between the two powerful military figures.
Taking to X (formerly Twitter) on May 28, Gen. Muhoozi—who is also the son of President Museveni—expressed a tone of relief and reconciliation, effectively reinstating one of the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces’ (UPDF) most prominent commanders.
“I’m glad to announce after a long meeting with Maj. General Don Nabasa today I have decided to release him and drop all the charges he was facing,” Gen. Muhoozi posted. “I thank him for the good work he has done in our mighty military since he joined in 1998. God bless UPDF!”
While the exact nature of the allegations against Maj. Gen. Nabasa remains classified, his sudden legal jeopardy in March this year sent shockwaves through the country’s political and security establishment.
Nabasa is a highly decorated officer who previously commanded the elite Special Forces Command (SFC), the army unit responsible for presidential security and strategic special operations. He also commanded the Military Police and led Ugandan troops on critical peacekeeping missions abroad, including the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM). Prior to his arrest, he was serving as the Joint Staff for Policy and Strategy.
The cracks in the military hierarchy became visible on March 26, when Maj. Gen. Nabasa and Brig. Gen. Johnson Namanya Abaho were arrested on orders of the CDF over alleged corruption-related offenses. The arrest order was implemented by the Deputy CDF and Chief Inspector of the Armed Forces, Lt. Gen. Sam Okiding.
Following hours of intense interrogation at Mbuya, the officers were moved under heavy military convoy. They were eventually held in the quartermaster’s wing of the strict SFC Kasenyi detention facility on Entebbe Road. Brig. Gen. Namanya had only recently been recalled by Gen. Muhoozi from his role as Commissioner for Citizenship and Passport Management in the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
The arrests were part of a wider anti-corruption sweeping operation orchestrated by the new CDF. Alongside the detentions, Gen. Muhoozi sacked the Deputy Chief of Defence Intelligence and Security, Brig. Abdul Rugumayo, sending him to Mbuya headquarters awaiting redeployment. Brig. Rugumayo was replaced by Brig. Gen. Oscar Munanura, the former head of Counter-Intelligence.
Since assuming the role of CDF, Gen. Muhoozi has overseen aggressive structural changes meant to enforce internal accountability within the military hierarchy. However, insiders note that Nabasa’s nearly three-decade journey since joining the army in 1998 makes him part of the bedrock of the UPDF.
By publicly thanking Nabasa for his 28 years of service, Gen. Muhoozi has signaled that institutional loyalty and past sacrifices still carry immense weight, choosing solidarity over a prolonged legal battle that risked fracturing the military’s top tier.