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Chief of Defence Forces Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba has said that generals require permission from the CDF before dancing, making the remarks after two retired senior officers were reportedly arrested amid a widening military intelligence investigation. The two officers are retired Major General Abel Kandiho and retired Brigadier General Charles Bakahumura, both former commanders of Uganda’s military intelligence.
“Generals require permission from the CDF before dancing. They didn’t have my permission,” Gen Muhoozi said in a social media post. His remarks came after videos emerged showing recently retired generals dancing during their farewell ceremony at State House Entebbe, an incident that triggered a strong reaction from the military chief.
The two generals at the centre of the latest developments are among 19 senior UPDF officers who were officially retired on August 20, 2026. Their retirement came only a few weeks before they were reportedly taken into custody, making their arrests particularly significant because both men previously held senior positions in the country’s intelligence system.
Maj Gen Abel Kandiho previously served as the head of the Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence, commonly known as CMI, which has since been reorganised as Defence Intelligence and Security. He became CMI chief in January 2017 while serving as a colonel and was subsequently promoted to brigadier and later major general during his tenure.
Brig Gen Charles Bakahumura also served as head of CMI, taking charge of the military intelligence organisation from 2012 to 2017. After leaving the intelligence command, he served as Chief of Logistics and Engineering for several years before later serving as Uganda’s defence attaché in Turkey.
Their arrests were reported as part of a wider investigation into allegations involving false intelligence and treachery. According to military sources cited by local media, the inquiry had already involved other senior intelligence officers, meaning the detention of Kandiho and Bakahumura appears to be part of a broader investigation rather than an isolated incident.
The arrests also came shortly after Gen Muhoozi publicly reacted to videos of retired generals dancing during their official farewell at State House. The CDF questioned why the officers appeared to be celebrating their departure from the UPDF and warned that those involved would be investigated.
In one of his earlier statements, Muhoozi said that generals who had danced too much near State House would be investigated and arrested. He later described the conduct as unacceptable and said all those involved would face action, although the exact legal basis for the arrests was not publicly explained in the initial reports.
The CDF subsequently announced that one of the generals he had referred to as a “dancing General” had been captured and that another would soon be arrested. The comments came as speculation increased over which of the retired officers had been taken into custody.
Muhoozi later appeared to refer specifically to one of the retired officers as he warned that a general was allegedly running for his life at one of his farms in Gomba. He also suggested that the officer might attempt to escape to Rwanda and said security forces would capture him wherever he went.
On Wednesday, September 9, reports emerged that security operatives had picked up Kandiho from his farm in Gomba District. The circumstances surrounding Bakahumura’s arrest were less clear, with reports saying it was not immediately known where he was being held or which security agency carried out the operation.
The reported detention of the two former intelligence chiefs has attracted attention because of the positions they previously occupied. Both men commanded CMI at different periods and were therefore among the senior officers entrusted with some of Uganda’s most sensitive military intelligence responsibilities.
Their detention also comes against the background of a separate investigation involving other senior military intelligence officials. Former DIS chief Maj Gen James Birungi, Director of Counter-Terrorism Col Peter Ahimbisibwe and Director of Special Operations Lt Col Ephraim Byaruhanga have reportedly been implicated in allegations connected to false intelligence.
Maj Gen James Birungi and Lt Col Ephraim Byaruhanga have reportedly been charged with treachery before the General Court Martial and remanded to Makindye Military Police Barracks. Birungi was arrested after appearing before a board chaired by Deputy CDF Lt Gen Samuel Okiding, which was reportedly established under Gen Muhoozi’s direction.
The allegations against the officers remain allegations unless and until they are established through the relevant legal processes. Reports on the arrests said the exact charges to be preferred against Kandiho and Bakahumura were not immediately clear, while the UPDF had not issued a detailed official statement explaining their detention.
The timing of the arrests has nevertheless created a strong connection in public discussion between the farewell dancing incident and the intelligence investigation. While Muhoozi publicly described the detained officers as part of the “dancing Generals,” reports indicate that their detention is also being linked to the wider inquiry into alleged false intelligence and treachery.
Bakahumura and Kandiho have both had long military careers, rising to senior command positions before their retirement. Their previous responsibilities mean that developments involving them are likely to attract considerable attention within Uganda’s security and political circles.
The latest arrests also follow Muhoozi’s repeated warnings that investigations into the retired generals would continue. He has indicated that other officers who took part in the farewell celebrations could also face scrutiny, suggesting that the matter may not end with the detention of the two former intelligence chiefs.
Meanwhile, reports indicate that more people connected to the wider intelligence investigation may still be wanted. A source familiar with the probe told the Daily Monitor that additional individuals connected to the same file were still being sought, although their identities and the specific allegations against them had not all been made public.
For now, the detention of Kandiho and Bakahumura marks a significant new development in the military intelligence investigation. It has also intensified attention on Gen Muhoozi’s warnings concerning the retired generals, his unusual remarks about their dancing and the broader allegations of false intelligence, as authorities continue with investigations into the matter.
