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Uganda’s Chief of Defence Forces, Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, has warned that security forces will continue searching for retired military officers who are wanted in connection with an ongoing investigation, following the reported arrest of two former military intelligence chiefs.
The two officers are retired Major General Abel Kandiho and retired Brigadier General Charles Bakahumura, both of whom previously served in senior positions within Uganda’s military intelligence structures. Their reported arrests have attracted significant attention because of their former seniority in the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF).
According to reports, Kandiho was picked up by security operatives from his farm in Gomba District on Wednesday, September 9, 2026. Details surrounding Bakahumura’s arrest, including the exact location and the security agency involved, were not immediately clear.
The arrests followed statements by Gen Muhoozi in which he indicated that retired generals who had attended a farewell event at State House and were seen dancing after their retirement would be detained. The officers involved have subsequently been referred to in public discussion as the “dancing Generals.”
In one of his statements, Gen Muhoozi appeared to specifically refer to one of the retired officers believed to be at a farm in Gomba. He warned that the individual could attempt to leave Uganda through Rwanda but insisted that security forces would continue looking for him.
“One is running for dear life in one of his farms in Gomba. He might try escaping to Rwanda. We shall capture him wherever he goes,” Gen Muhoozi said.
The statement came shortly before reports emerged that Kandiho had been arrested at his farm in Gomba. This led to widespread speculation that the person Muhoozi had referred to was Kandiho, although the reports should be understood in the context of an ongoing investigation.
Kandiho is a former Chief of Military Intelligence and rose through the ranks of the UPDF during a long military career. He previously served in Rwanda at the Uganda High Commission and later held other senior military appointments before becoming head of military intelligence.
His tenure as Chief of Military Intelligence placed him at the centre of Uganda’s military intelligence system. The institution, formerly known as the Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence, is now known as Defence Intelligence and Security.
Bakahumura is also a former head of Uganda’s military intelligence. He served as Chief of Military Intelligence from 2012 to 2017 before becoming Chief of Logistics and Engineering, a position he reportedly held for about seven years.
After serving in the logistics and engineering leadership position, Bakahumura was posted to Ankara as Uganda’s Defence Attaché to Turkey. His military career therefore included both senior command responsibilities within Uganda and diplomatic military duties abroad.
Reports indicate that both Kandiho and Bakahumura were among senior officers who recently retired from the UPDF. Their reported detention has therefore raised questions about what prompted the investigation and why the retired generals became the focus of security operations.
Gen Muhoozi had earlier indicated that other retired generals could also be targeted. In another statement, he suggested that some of the officers could be hiding at the residence of Gen Salim Saleh, a senior military figure and younger brother of President Yoweri Museveni.
“The others must be hiding under Afande Saleh’s bed. But I will look for them,” Muhoozi was reported to have said. The remark demonstrated the strong language he was using while discussing the search for the retired officers.
Following the reported arrests, Muhoozi appeared to confirm that at least one of the retired generals had been captured. He described the officers as the “dancing Generals” and indicated that another arrest would follow.
“We have captured one of the dancing Generals. Another one will be captured soon,” Muhoozi said, according to reports.
The exact nature of the investigations has not been fully disclosed publicly. A military source cited by New Vision confirmed that the arrests were part of ongoing investigations sanctioned by Gen Muhoozi, but said the source could not provide details about the nature of the investigations.
The circumstances have therefore remained closely watched, particularly because both men previously held important positions within military intelligence. The reported arrests have also generated public discussion about the treatment of senior officers after retirement.
Bakahumura’s military history has previously attracted public attention. In 2022, reports emerged alleging that he had been arrested over investigations into the alleged theft of fuel intended for UPDF operations, but the then army spokesperson Brig. Felix Kulaigye denied the reports, while Bakahumura himself also denied that he had been arrested.
For Kandiho, the latest development comes after a long career in the UPDF that included senior intelligence responsibilities. His reported arrest at a farm in Gomba is particularly notable because Gen Muhoozi had publicly referred to a retired general being in that area shortly before the arrest was reported.
The developments have also raised attention over whether more retired officers could be detained as the investigation continues. Reports have suggested that other people connected to the same matter may still be wanted, although authorities have not publicly provided a complete list of those being sought.
As investigations continue, the reported arrests of Kandiho and Bakahumura remain one of the major military stories in Uganda. Gen Muhoozi has made it clear through his public statements that the search for the officers he has targeted will continue, while the exact allegations and findings of the investigation remain a matter for the relevant authorities to establish.
