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General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), has directed the arrest of Brigadier General Cyrus Besigye Bekunda, Chief of Engineering in the Joint Staff, along with several officers from the Engineers Brigade, over allegations of corruption and mismanagement of funds.
Announcing the development on his X (formerly Twitter) account, Gen Kainerugaba wrote: "Yesterday, I commanded the arrest of Brig Bekunda Besigye and other officers from the Engineers Brigade. They corrupted, defiled, and betrayed a core principle the UPDF holds dear—that of self-reliance and operational efficiency. They were entrusted with funds and abused that trust! Let their punishment be a warning to others."
Brigadier Bekunda becomes one of the latest senior officers caught up in Gen Kainerugaba’s anti-corruption purge within the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF).
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Back in February 2024, while closing a logistics and inventory management retreat at the College of Logistics and Engineering (COLE) in Magamaga, Jinja, the CDF issued a strong caution against corrupt practices.
He pointed out that corruption and poor resource management jeopardise both the welfare of soldiers and the military’s preparedness for operations.
He said: “Anyone pursuing selfish agendas, be it through corruption, misappropriation, or any form of mismanagement, must either change their ways at once or leave the UPDF honourably before being publicly exposed.”
This latest arrest further underscores Gen Kainerugaba’s firm position against corruption within the armed forces.