KAMPALA, Uganda — Former Deputy Chief of Military Intelligence Brig. Gen. Abdul Rugumayo has been accused of pressuring a convicted informer to implicate Maj. Gen. James Birungi in alleged staged bomb operations in Kampala.
Hamza Lyavala made the allegations Monday while testifying before the General Court Martial in Makindye in a case involving Lt. Col. Ephraim Byaruhanga.
Lyavala told the court that Rugumayo wanted him to claim Birungi had provided Shs10 million to finance the alleged operations. He maintained that the claim was false.
He also alleged that Rugumayo wanted him to state that he had met Birungi after the general handed over his office to Maj. Gen. Richard Otto.
According to Lyavala, he refused to include the claims in his initial statement because they did not reflect what he knew. He said Rugumayo tore up the statement and demanded another version containing the allegations against Birungi.
Lyavala further accused the former deputy intelligence chief of using harsh interrogation methods and supplying him with words and phrases intended to implicate Birungi.
The witness said he recorded statements over three days in June 2025 during questioning at military intelligence offices in Mbuya. His final statement reportedly ran to 69 pages.
Lyavala also told the court how Kampala Minister Minsa Kabanda allegedly helped connect him to military intelligence after he sought to abandon his involvement with the Allied Democratic Forces. He said his guardian, Twaliha Batambuze, helped him reach the minister.
According to Lyavala, Kabanda took him to then Chief of Military Intelligence Gen. Abel Kandiho before he was later introduced to President Yoweri Museveni. Lyavala said Museveni directed him to continue working with military intelligence as an informer.
The testimony adds another dimension to the case surrounding the deaths of two women during security operations at Munyonyo on June 3, 2025, and Kalerwe Market on June 21, 2025. Prosecutors allege the incidents were staged to create the impression of genuine terrorist threats.
Lyavala and fellow informer Adiil Walusansa were convicted after pleading guilty to murder charges linked to the incidents. They have since sought to withdraw their guilty pleas, leaving the court to consider their requests.
Lt. Col. Byaruhanga, who is accused of involvement in the alleged operations, has denied the charges against him. Birungi faces separate treachery and security related charges.
The allegations against Rugumayo and the account of Kabanda’s role were presented as part of Lyavala’s testimony and have not been independently established. The court proceedings continue as the circumstances surrounding the alleged operations and the conduct of security officials come under scrutiny.
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