Three UPDF Officers Face Court Martial Over Aircraft Loss in Somalia

GOOBJOOG NEWS|KAMPALA: Three senior Uganda People’s Defence Forces officers have been charged and remanded at the General Court Martial sitting in Makindye, Kampala, in connection with the loss of a military aircraft in Somalia.

The accused, Colonel George Buga Andruca (52), Major Benjamin Kashumbusha (44), and Lieutenant Henry Gygenda (39) — all formerly served under the UPDF’s Aviation III Unit attached to the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) at Baledogle Military Airfield. Andruca served as the unit’s Commanding Officer, Kashumbusha as Operations Officer, and Gygenda as Squadron Engineer.

The three appeared before a three-member panel chaired by Colonel Frederick Kangwamu, sitting alongside Colonel Nasser Drago Igambi and Major Abubaker Nyombi. They jointly face a single count of wrongful acts in relation to aircraft, under Section 150(b) of the UPDF Act Cap 330, as amended a charge all three denied.

The offence carries severe consequences. Under the provision, any person who willfully, negligently, or in violation of regulations, orders, or instructions, acts or fails to act in a way that results in the loss of a Defence Forces aircraft or aircraft material, is guilty of an offence and may, upon conviction, face the death penalty.

Prosecutors Captain Alex Mukhana and Second Lieutenant Anthony Phillip Olupot informed the panel that investigations remain ongoing and requested an adjournment. The court granted the request.

Presiding officer Colonel Kangwamu formally entered not guilty pleas on behalf of all three accused and remanded them to Makindye Military Police Quarter Guard until April 4, 2026, when the case is scheduled to return to court for mention.

What the prosecution alleges

According to the charge sheet, on or around September 19, 2024, at Baledogle in Somalia, the three officers negligently deployed UPDF aircraft designated AUO-004, which subsequently crash-landed and was lost.

The aircraft had been a critical operational asset for UPDF forces in Somalia, enabling the safe movement of troops and supplies across territory heavily laced with improvised explosive devices and roadside bombs. The loss is considered particularly significant given that Uganda’s military contingent operates with a limited fleet and has, over time, recorded a troubling number of air crashes resulting in fatalities and injuries.