Lt. Gen Gutti hands over office Court Martial to Brig. Mugabe

By Elizabeth Ankunda

1^st Aug 2022

The Uganda People’s Defense Forces- UPDF is delighted with the six years of service of Lt. Gen. Andrew Gutti as the Chairman of the General Court Martial.

This was said by the UPDF Spokesperson Felix Kulayigye at the handover of office to the newly appointed chairperson of Court Martial Brigadier General Robert Freeman Mugabe on Monday at Makindye Court Martial where he took Oath of service pledging to administer justice in accordance to the constitution.

Kulayigye noted that General Gutti has faced some challenges in his office like orders from civilian courts to adjourn some trials which he says delayed justice for the accused, lack of enough facilities to expedite court cases as fast as possible among others.

Mugabe has been working as the Adjutant General at the Army Headquarters in Bombo since 2020. He also served as the Air Defense Division Administrative Officer and Division Operations & Training Officer in the same Unit prior to his appointment as Adjutant General.

In the Appointment letter from President Yoweri Museveni dated 12^th of  July 2022 letter, the Chief of Armed forces appointed 24 new members to the Court Martial and renewed the contracts of five members who previously served under Gutti’s leadership.

Those maintained include Col. John Bizimana, who returns as the Secretary/Registrar to the General Court Martial/Registrar, Lt. Col. Raphael Mugisha and Captain Ambroz Guma remain as Prosecutors; Kamanda Silas Mutungi is the Defense Counsel and Col. Richard Tukacungurwa as the Judge Advocate.

Lt.General Andrew Gutti’s term of office started in 2016 until 9^th of June 2022 when his second contract ended, and is headed for retirement from active service in the UPDF at the end of this year.

In the Six years’ term Lt. Gen. Gutti has handled high-profile cases such as that of the Former Inspector General of Police Gen Kale Keyihura and his senior police officers, Former Boda-boda 2010 leader Abdullah Kittata, National Unity Platform NUP leader Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, a number of NUP supporters said to have involved in the November 2020 riots among others.