A UPDF General, identified as Maj Gen James Ruheesi, was arrested on orders of Chief of Defence Forces Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba for allegedly stealing fuel over three years. The arrest took place earlier this week at Makindye Military Barracks in Kampala following a prolonged investigation initiated by Muhoozi. Col David Kidega is also reported to be in custody as part of the same investigation.
The issue came to light after reports surfaced about fuel theft at the Uganda Rapid Deployment Capability Center (URDCC) at Gaddafi barracks in Jinja. Brigadier General Peter Omolla, who recently returned from Somalia to head URDCC, replaced Ruheesi in the role. Sources indicate that URDCC was allocated 20,000 liters of petrol and 30,000 liters of diesel monthly, but only half of these amounts reached the facility, resulting in a monthly shortfall of 15,000 liters. With petrol priced at approximately Shs 5,000 per liter and diesel at Shs 48,000 per liter, the facility lost Shs 50,000,000 in petrol and Shs 48,000,000 in diesel each month. Over three years, the total loss is estimated at Shs 3.5 billion, split between Shs 1.8 billion in petrol and Shs 1.7 billion in diesel.
Omolla reportedly rejected offers to participate in the ongoing fuel theft scheme and faced backlash from some individuals at the facility. The URDCC was established to provide the UPDF with a rapid crisis-response unit capable of addressing emergencies within one hour.
Last year, President Museveni highlighted widespread corruption within the army, accusing senior officials of nepotism and theft of resources, including fuel, food, and soldier allowances. He urged Muhoozi to take decisive action. In a separate incident, the army recently arrested Colonel Peter Ssemakula, Chief of Communications and IT, for allegedly accepting a bribe from a Namibian company, Satcom, which sought to supply the UPDF with Leopard 1 Wideband military Software Defined Radios.
