Fort Portal, Uganda: The former Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI) Maj Gen James Birungi has been dropped as commander of the UPDF Mountain Infantry Division just two months into the role, in a fresh reshuffle ordered by the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba.
In a statement released Thursday, June 26, by Col Chris Magezi, the Military Assistant to the CDF, Gen Muhoozi appointed Brig Paul Muwonge as the new commander of the Fort Portal-based division, replacing Maj Gen Birungi, who has now been redeployed to Bujumbura, Burundi, as Uganda’s Military Attaché and Defence Advisor.
Maj Gen Birungi only assumed command of the Mountain Division in April 2025, having swapped roles with Maj Gen Richard Otto, who returned to lead Military Intelligence. This now marks Birungi’s second redeployment in less than 90 days, intensifying speculation over his diminishing influence within the UPDF’s top brass.
Brig Simon Ochan, the outgoing Defence Attaché in Bujumbura, will return to the Joint UPDF Services headquarters in Kampala for further deployment.
Brig Muwonge, who served as Birungi’s deputy and recently accompanied Gen Muhoozi to Kinshasa on official duties, now also takes over as the overall commander of Operation Shujaa, Uganda’s joint military offensive with the DRC government aimed at dismantling the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) terrorist group in eastern Congo.
The appointment places Brig Muwonge at the centre of a sensitive regional operation and indicates Gen Muhoozi’s trust in young, field-tested officers to lead critical security fronts.
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