Gen. Tukacungurwa
HABARI DAILY I Kampala, Uganda I Brig Richard Tukachungurwa has been appointed as Head of the Uganda People’s Defence Force (UPDF) General Court Martial (GCM) by President Yoweri Museveni.
Gen. Tukacungurwa replaces Brig-Gen Robert Freeman Mugabe, who had served as GCM chairman since 2022.
The appointment, which takes immediate effect, was made by the President in accordance with Sections 192, 193 and 195 of the UPDF Act, acting on the advice of the Judicial Service Commission. The appointment letter, addressed to the Chief of Defence Forces, Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, confirms a full reshuffle of the General Court Martial and the leadership of Division and Unit Court Martials across the country.
The appointment letter, a copy of which has been seen by Habari Daily, Museveni also named nine members of the General Court Martial who will serve under Gen Tukachungurwa, who include Maj Samuel Moses Amodoi, Maj Emmanuel Arihaihi, Maj Abubaker Nyombi and Maj Denis Chemtai.
Others include Col Simon Tusah Wankandya, Col Patra Asha, Col Fredrick Kangwamu, Col Raphael Mugisha and Lt Col Mohammedie Nasser Igambi.
Museveni additionally appointed chairpersons of Division Court Martials, who include Lt Col Drani Epalu David for the Fourth Division, and Lt Col Yaqoub Hassan Mulyanti for the One Special Forces Group.
The reconstituted GCM now operates under a revised legal framework requiring higher professional and legal qualifications for its leaders.
The re-appointment of a new GCM chairman comes in the wake of a dramatic legal ruling on 31 January 2025, in which the Supreme Court of Uganda unanimously declared that military courts — including the General Court Martial — lacked jurisdiction to try civilians.
It found key provisions of the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces Act unconstitutional, ruling that the structure of the army courts violated constitutional rights to a fair and impartial trial.
The Supreme Court directed that all ongoing and pending criminal cases against civilians before the GCM be suspended and transferred to civilian courts, under the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
However, the government rushed to Parliament, and on 20 May 2025, lawmakers passed a sweeping amendment to the UPDF Act — the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (Amendment) Act, 2025. This reinstated military courts’ power to try civilians under “exceptional circumstances.”
Such offences include those involving unlawful possession of military weapons, espionage or crimes that threaten national security or UPDF operations.
Who is Tukachungurwa?
Before his appointment, Brig Gen Tukachungurwa served as the Judge Advocate of the same court.
As Judge Advocate repeatedly clashed with human rights lawyer Eron Kiiza during Dr Kizza Besigye’s controversial treason trial.
He oversaw proceedings in which lawyer Kiiza was physically prevented from taking his place among the defence counsel, arrested in court, and summarily convicted of contempt of court—receiving a nine-month prison sentence.
The two had clashed repeatedly in the tense days past with the military officer warning that the human rights lawyer would face the full wrath of the law if he continued to defy the court martial.
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