UPDF officers charged over fuel theft

May 27, 2014

Two UPDF officers have been charged with stealing fuel and misuse of funds meant for maintenance of motorized infantry battalion vehicles in Somalia.

By Pascal Kwesiga & Paul Mayambala

Two UPDF officers have been charged with stealing fuel and misuse of funds meant for maintenance of motorized infantry battalion vehicles in Somalia.

Uganda is one of the African countries with troops under UN mandated African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) to protect the Somalia government and civilians against the Al-Qaida linked Al-Shabaab terrorists.

Lt. Col Eugine Ssebugwawo, formally the commander of Uganda Battle Group Nine plus and Maj. Nasur Namara, the former commander of the motorized infantry component of the Ugandan troop contingent in the Mission area have been charged today Tuesday before the General Court Martial in Makindye.

Ssebugwawo was charged with an offence of personal interests endangering the efficiency of the operations in relation to the alleged theft of 200 liters of fuel.

The state represented by Capt. Fred Kangwamu and Lt. Ambrose Baguma alleges that Ssebugwawo sold 200 liters of fuel to Somali civilians in Mogadishu between June 2012 and April 2013.

Namara has been charged with the misuse of funds meant for the maintenance of motorized infantry vehicles. The state alleges that Namara committed the offense in August last year.

The army’s highest court is trying several UPDF officers in Kampala over offenses relating to the theft and sale of fuel, sexual harassment, conduct prejudicial to good order and discipline, failure to exercise command and control over subordinates and ill-treatment of subordinates among others in Somalia.