UPDF private detained for promoting self to major

Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) on Friday said they had detained one of their soldiers at the rank of Private on charges of impersonation after he allegedly promoted himself to the rank of Major and started masquerading as such.

“Private Kyambadde has been masquerading as a UPDF senior officer at the rank of Major. He is in our custody and will be answering to charges of impersonation and other activities prejudicial to good order and discipline of the UPDF,” the army posted on their X handle.

READ: Four UPDF impersonators held in joint operation

The army spokesperson, Brig. Gen Felix Kulayigye later told this reporter that the suspect will be arraigned in court and charged accordingly.

“He has been masquerading as a Major, but I can’t tell when he started. The bottomline is we have him in our custody for that reason. I am told he has been involved in criminal activities, but we are still investigating,” Brig Gen Kulayigye said on Friday.

Pte Kyambandde is not the first soldier to be accused of impersonation as several other related cases have been reported in the armed Forces before.
In February last year, police in Buyende District arrested a woman identified as Eunice Keinembabazi who had allegedly been posing as a Colonel. At the time of her arrest, Keinembabazi had allegedly conned unsuspecting victims of about Shs15 million.

In May 2022, four suspects who were posing as officers of the UPDF, were arrested in a joint security operation in Rubaga Division, Kampala. Their arrest followed a public outcry of increased cases of night robberies by people in military uniforms.

Kulayigye further told this publication that while the cases keep coming up, there is not much the UPDF can do to contain them, beyond charging the suspects before court.
“What is being done is that whoever errors we punish according to the law,” he said.