The Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, has removed Maj Gen James Birungi from his position as commander of the Mountain Infantry Division just two months after his appointment, and reassigned him to Bujumbura, Burundi, as Uganda’s new Military Attaché and Defence Advisor.
The swift redeployment follows a recent reshuffle in which Maj Gen Birungi had swapped roles with Maj Gen Richard Otto, moving from the Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI) to the Mountain Division in April 2025.
Brig Gen Paul Muwonge, who has been serving as Deputy Commander of the division, has been elevated to replace Birungi as the new commander of the Fort Portal-based unit. He will also lead Operation Shujaa, the joint UPDF-FARDC mission against Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) rebels in eastern DRC.
“The Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) of the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF), General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, has appointed Brigadier Paul Muwonge as the new commander of the UPDF Mountain Infantry Division based in Fort Portal, western Uganda,” said Col Chris Magezi, the outgoing Acting UPDF Spokesperson.
He added, “Brigadier Muwonge has been elevated from his previous role as Deputy Commander of the same division, replacing Maj Gen James Birungi, who assumed command in April this year.”
The reassignment of Maj Gen Birungi to a foreign diplomatic military post comes at a time when the UPDF is grappling with internal investigations involving two senior intelligence officers linked to suspected subversive activity.
According to military sources, Col Peter Ahimbisibwe (Director of Counter Terrorism) and Lt Col Ephraim Byaruhanga (Director of Special Operations) were recently arrested from the Defence Intelligence headquarters in Mbuya. Both are reportedly former close associates of Maj Gen Birungi during his time as Chief of Military Intelligence.
“Brigadier Muwonge has been elevated from his current position of Deputy Commander in the same division, replacing Major General James Birungi who assumed command in April this year,” said Col Chris Magezi, Military Assistant to the Chief of Defence Forces – UPDF in a statement this Wednesday night.
The UPDF has not formally linked the arrests or Birungi’s reassignment to the ongoing internal probe. However, sources suggest the arrested officers oversaw units that may have been infiltrated by ADF operatives.
Maj Gen Birungi replaces Brig Gen Simon Ochan, who has completed his diplomatic tour in Bujumbura and will return to the Joint UPDF Services Headquarters for reassignment.
“Major General Birungi now moves to Bujumbura, Burundi, as Uganda’s Military Attaché and Defence Advisor (DA) in the country,” Magezi confirmed.
Brig Gen Muwonge, who recently accompanied the CDF on an official mission to Kinshasa, is now tasked with leading both the division and Operation Shujaa—a high-stakes deployment targeting one of the region’s most notorious terrorist groups.
“Brigadier Muwonge who recently accompanied the CDF on an official working trip to Kinshasa, DRC, now also assumes command of the ongoing Operation Shujaa, a joint operation with DRC’s military forces (FARDC) to degrade and destroy the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) terrorist group that operate in some parts of eastern DRC.”
While the UPDF remains silent on whether Maj Gen Birungi’s reassignment is connected to the unfolding security probe, the timing has fueled speculation and intensified scrutiny of the inner workings of Uganda’s military intelligence apparatus.
