Former Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) soldier Michael Katungi Mpeirwe has been remanded to Luzira Prison by the Buganda Road Chief Magistrate’s Court after being arraigned on a warrant issued in connection with a United States extradition request over allegations linking him to an international conspiracy involving arms trafficking, drug trafficking, and terrorism support.
Mpeirwe was produced before the Chief Magistrate following his recent arrest by Ugandan security agencies. He is wanted by U.S. authorities under an indictment filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia.
According to the indictment, Mpeirwe is charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine, knowing that it would be unlawfully imported into the United States.
He also faces charges of conspiracy to possess firearms, including machine guns and destructive devices, in furtherance of a drug trafficking offence, as well as conspiracy to provide material support and resources to a designated foreign terrorist organisation.
The court heard that the extradition request is based on the 1988 United Nations Convention Against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances, which forms part of the legal framework under Uganda’s Extradition Act.
“The respondent has objected to the extradition, and this requires the presentation to file an application for extradition. Counsel for the respondent has prayed that court releases the applicant on bail,” the Chief Magistrate said while outlining the proceedings.
The magistrate, however, declined to grant Mpeirwe bail, saying the application before court did not satisfy the legal requirements.
“I am unable to release the respondent on bail as the material presented and the bail guidelines have not been followed to enable this application,” the magistrate ruled.
She consequently remanded Mpeirwe and directed the Director of Public Prosecutions to formally commence the extradition proceedings.
“In the premises therefore, I hereby remand the respondent and order the presentation to file and serve a formal application for extradition by July 1, 2026,” the magistrate ordered.
The case stems from an indictment filed by U.S. federal prosecutors alleging that Mpeirwe was part of a transnational criminal network involved in a $58 million arms trafficking conspiracy linked to Mexico’s Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG), one of the world’s most powerful and violent drug cartels.
According to prosecutors, Mpeirwe allegedly worked alongside Bulgarian arms dealer Peter Dimitrov Mirchev, Kenyan national Elisha Odhiambo Asumo and Tanzanian national Subiro Osmund Mwapinga in a scheme that began around September 2022.
Investigators claim the group sought to procure and supply military-grade weapons, including AK-47 assault rifles, machine guns, sniper rifles, rocket-propelled grenades, drones, anti-drone systems and ZU-23 anti-aircraft weapons, allegedly intended for the Mexican cartel.
The indictment alleges that Mpeirwe played a key facilitation role by helping obtain End-User Certificates and Delivery Verification Protocols in Africa, documents prosecutors say were used to disguise the true destination of the weapons.
U.S. prosecutors further allege that during a meeting in London in April 2024, Mpeirwe offered to illegally obtain firearms for future sale to the cartel and claimed he could use his connections across Africa and within the Ugandan government to secure the necessary documentation in return for a two percent commission.
Investigators also accuse the group of creating false paperwork to conceal the movement of weapons, including documents that falsely indicated firearms were being imported for the Tanzanian military when they were allegedly destined for CJNG.
Court documents further outline several financial transactions allegedly linked to the conspiracy, including payments routed through Kenya and Bulgaria to facilitate the procurement of the weapons.
Besides the arms trafficking allegations, the indictment accuses the suspects of conspiring to distribute large quantities of cocaine intended for the U.S. market and possessing firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking activities.
U.S. authorities say Mirchev has already been extradited from Spain, Asumo from Morocco and Mwapinga from Ghana, leaving Mpeirwe as the last of the four accused to be arrested following his apprehension in Uganda.
If extradited and convicted, Mpeirwe faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and could spend the rest of his life behind bars.
Prosecutors are also seeking the forfeiture of assets allegedly connected to the international criminal network, including weapons shipments and financial proceeds believed to have been generated through the alleged conspiracy.
