Kampala, Uganda: The Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, has ordered the arrest of Brig. Gen Cyrus Besigye Bekunda, the Joint Staff Chief Engineering, along with other officers in the Engineers Brigade, over allegations of corruption and financial mismanagement.
In a post shared on Tuesday on his X (formerly Twitter) platform, Gen Muhoozi revealed that the detained officers had betrayed the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) core values of discipline and self-reliance.
“Yesterday, I ordered the arrest of Brig Bekunda Besigye and other officers of the Engineers Brigade. They poisoned, contaminated, and desecrated a sacred principle we have always embraced as UPDF, that we can be self-sufficient and efficient. They received money and misused it,” Gen Muhoozi wrote, adding “Let their punishment serve as a lesson to others.”
Brig Bekunda becomes the latest senior officer to face accountability in the CDF’s sweeping anti-corruption campaign within the military.
In February 2024, while closing a logistics and inventory management retreat at the College of Logistics and Engineering (COLE) in Magamaga, Jinja, Gen Muhoozi issued a stern ultimatum to officers engaged in graft.
“Any individual or group with selfish interests—whether corruption, misappropriation of resources, or mismanagement of any kind- must reform immediately or leave our cherished UPDF before they are exposed,” he declared then.
The Engineers Brigade, which plays a pivotal role in military infrastructure and national construction projects, has increasingly come under scrutiny for alleged misuse of funds meant for critical works.
This publication understands that investigators are now reviewing financial records, contractor engagements, and expenditure reports linked to several government-funded engineering assignments.
This latest move highlights Gen Muhoozi’s determination to stamp out graft and preserve the operational integrity of the UPDF.
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