The Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, has pledged to avenge the death of Lt. Amon Ariho, blaming his tragic demise on systemic corruption, a long-standing issue condemned by both himself and President Yoweri Museveni.
“I am personally hurt by the suicide of our young officer… Lt. Ariho. He died because of the corruption Mzee and I have been talking about for a long time now,” Gen. Kainerugaba posted on X. “His blood will be avenged, and the thieves will pay.”
Lt. Ariho, who served with the UPDF Engineers Brigade, tragically took his own life.
Brig. Gen. Felix Kulayigye, the Director of Defence Public Information, issued a statement reaffirming the UPDF’s commitment to accountability and urged personnel to seek professional help during challenging times.
“The CDF assures the public that the UPDF will carry out a thorough investigation, and whoever is found culpable will be brought to book,” said Brig. Gen. Kulayigye.
“We recognise that individuals face different challenges and have varying coping abilities. We, therefore, encourage our personnel to seek administrative and professional support through our established structures.”
President Museveni has consistently denounced corruption within the UPDF, highlighting its adverse effects on operational efficiency.
Speaking during the Gen. Aronda Nyakairima Memorial Lecture in September, Museveni praised Gen. Kainerugaba’s anti-corruption initiatives. He credited him with redirecting misused funds during his tenure as Commander of Land Forces to construct new barracks facilities for soldiers in Bombo.
“The present CDF started fighting that some time ago when he took over the command of SFC and the Land Forces. He was able to use the money that was being misused to build barracks for soldiers,” Museveni noted.Since assuming the role of CDF in March, Gen. Kainerugaba, who also serves as Senior Presidential Advisor on Special Operations, has prioritised the welfare of soldiers by tackling corruption and mismanagement.
In a December 28 post on X, he outlined the progress made under his leadership in eliminating corruption within the UPDF.
“One thing we have done in the 9 months we have been in charge of UPDF! The old ‘middle men’ are now thoroughly unemployed! No more deals!!” he wrote.
“We get value for money in every contract. As I promised, there will be ZERO tolerance for corruption. God bless UPDF!”
