Museveni appoints Tukachungurwa new head of General Court Martial

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Brig. Gen. Richard Tukachungurwa has been appointed as the new chairman of the General Court Martial (GCM), according to a communication issued by State House dated November 25, 2025.

He takes over from Brig. Gen. Robert Freeman Mugabe.

Prior to his appointment by President Yoweri Museveni, Tukachungurwa was the GCM judge advocate.

Museveni, who is also the Commander-in-Chief of Uganda's armed forces, made the appointment in his letter to Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the UPDF Chief of Defence Forces.

“In accordance with Section 192, 193 and 195 of the UPDF Act as amended and acting on the advice of the Judicial Service Commission, I have appointed persons below as heads and members of the GCM and chairpersons of divisions and unit court martials,” said the President.

Members of the GCM include Col Simon Tusah Wankandya, Col Patra Asha, Col Fredrick Kangwamu, Col Raphael Mugisha, Lt Col Mohammedie Nasser Igambi, Maj. Samuel Moses Amodoi, Maj. Emmanuel Arihaihi, Maj. Abubaker Nyombi and Maj. Denis Chemutai.

The new chairpersons of the division court martials include Lt Col David Drani Epalu for the Fourth Division and Lt Col Yaqoub Hassan Mulyanti for the Special Forces Group.

All the appointees are lawyers.

In January 2025, the Supreme Court of Uganda ruled that the GCM and other military courts lack the jurisdiction to try civilians.

The decision halted ongoing military trials of civilians, transferring them to civilian courts, though it did not invalidate past convictions. 

Human rights groups consider the Supreme Court ruling a major victory for fair trial rights.

The government, however, drafted an amendment to the UPDF Act to potentially allow military trials for civilians under specific circumstances, a move that was met with criticism.

The Bill was passed into law and assented to by the President.