Three senior army officers charged over UPDF aircraft crash in Somalia

KAMPALA - The General Court Martial (GCM) at Makindye in Kampala has charged and remanded three senior Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) officers over loss of the Forces’ aircraft in Somalia.

The charged are senior officers RO/08916 Col George Buga Andruca, 52, formerly Commanding Officer Aviation III Unit of UPDF under African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS), Baledogle Military Airfield, and RO/11503 Maj Benjamin Kashumbusha, 44, a former Operations Officer at the same Unit, and in Baledogle.

The duo is charged alongside RO/13508 Lt Henry Gygenda, 39, a UPDF junior officer and former Squadron Engineer, Aviation III Unit of UPDF under ATMIS, Baledogle Military Airfield.

Appearing before a panel of three, chaired by Col Frederick Kangwamu, alongside Col Nasser Drago Igambi and Maj Abubaker Nyombi, the trio was charged with one count of wrongful acts in relation to aircraft.

The charge, to which they all denied, contravenes Section 150 (b) of the UPDF Act Cap, 330 as amended.

Under the law, anyone who willfully or negligently or contrary to regulations, orders or instructions, does any act or omits to do anything which act or omission results in the loss of any aircraft or aircraft material of the Defence Forces, commits an offence and he/she is liable, on conviction, to suffer death.

Prosecution led by Capt. Alex Mukhana and Second Lieutenant Anthony Phillip Olupot informed the court that investigations were still ongoing and requested an adjournment for mention, prompting court to adjourn the case.

“A plea of not guilty has been entered for you, Andruga, Kashumbusha, and Gygenda. You’re, therefore, hereby remanded to Makindye Makindye Military Police Quarter Guard till April 4, 2026, when you will be returned to this court for mention of your case,” said Kangwamu as he remanded the accused.

The charge

Prosecution alleges that Andruga, Kashumbusha, and Gygenda, on or around September 19, 2024, in Baledogle, Somalia, negligently deployed aircraft AUO-004 belonging to UPDF Contingent, ATMIS in Somalia, which crash-landed, resulting in its loss.

The aircraft in Somalia have been so beneficial to UPDF in that they help the Forces to move troops and supplies safely over areas filled with roadside bombs.

However, despite having a few aircraft, Uganda’s military forces have recorded a high number of air crashes, leaving several dead and injured.