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A 32-year-old Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) soldier is to spend one year in prison after the General Court Martial (GCM) found him guilty of losing two bombs while on a mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

RA/262667 Private Sam Ebong was Monday, February 5, accorded the sentence by the GCM at Makindye in Kampala, chaired by Brig. Gen. Robert Freeman Mugabe.

The sentence came after Ebong pleaded guilty to failure to protect war materials, a charge that contravenes sections 122 (1) (2) (e) of the UPDF Act, 2005, and entices a death penalty, upon conviction.

Sentencing the convict, Mugabe ruled that the convict (Ebong) readily pleaded guilty, was a first offender, remorseful, still young, and has children and other dependents.

He added that the convict had spent seven months and seven days on remand and that a sentence of two years imprisonment and four months and 23 days, for mitigating factors was appropriate.

“Therefore, after deducting a period of seven months and seven days spent on remand and four months and twenty-three days of mitigating factors, this court hereby sentences you Ebong to one-year detention,” ruled Gen. Mugabe, advising the convict to appeal within 14 days if he was not satisfied with his court ruling.

Brief facts

Led by Lt Alex Mukhwana, Private Anthony Phillip Olupot, and Private Regina Nanzala, the prosecution told the court that on February 12, 2023, the convict (Ebong) while deployed under the East African Community Regional Forces (EACRF) in DR Congo signed for a support weapon NO. 08324MGL 40MM, with 06 bombs.

That of June 24, the same year at around 8:00hrs while at Kiwanja UGACON 1 Headquarters on master parade, it was discovered that two bombs were missing in the convict’s weapon.

“A search for the same was conducted to no avail. The suspect was arrested, arraigned before this court on December 18, 2023, and charged with one count of failure to protect war materials, upon which he pleaded guilty,” Nanzala told the court.

The prosecution further stated that on June 24, 2023, while at Kiwanja Trading Centre, Rutshuru district in the Democratic Republic of Congo, lost two bombs of MGL 40MM, an act against the laws of Uganda.

Captain Nsubuga Busagwa and Private Pricilla Kakande represented the convict.