Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) of the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) and Chairman of the Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU), Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, has removed retired UPDF officer Michael Katungi from all leadership positions within the movement.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday morning, Muhoozi announced: “I have decided to remove Michael Katungi as Commissioner External Affairs of PLU. He is also removed as a member of our Central Committee. From now on only the Chairman will appoint the foreign committees of our movement.”
The decision follows mounting controversy over a U.S. indictment that accuses Katungi of conspiring to supply military-grade weapons, including rocket launchers, sniper rifles, grenades, and anti-aircraft systems to Mexico’s Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG), a designated foreign terrorist organization.
The scheme is alleged to be worth approximately $58 million (about shs 200 billion).
Katungi, a retired UPDF lieutenant and diplomat, has served in intelligence, foreign missions, and most recently in PLU’s top leadership as Commissioner for External Affairs and Director of Diaspora Affairs.
He was widely regarded as one of Muhoozi’s trusted envoys in engaging Ugandans abroad.
U.S. prosecutors allege that Katungi played a central role in falsifying arms control documents such as end-user certificates and delivery verification protocols, and coordinated with foreign contacts to facilitate illicit shipments, including a test consignment of 50 AK-47 rifles from Bulgaria.
Katungi has denied all charges, calling them “malicious accusations” and urging the public to “ignore with contempt” the allegations.
Nonetheless, Muhoozi’s move effectively ends his formal role in the PLU, with the chairman consolidating control over all foreign appointments in the movement.
The Patriotic League of Uganda, which Muhoozi leads alongside his position as the UPDF’s top commander, has been positioning itself as a key political force ahead of Uganda’s next electoral cycle.
Katungi’s removal marks the first high-profile purge in PLU’s short history, underscoring the political and reputational risks of international legal entanglements for the movement’s leadership.
