A Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) soldier has been sentenced to 52 years in prison after being found guilty of failing to protect war materials.
Private Owen Okumu, 27, was convicted by the Fourth Infantry Division Court Martial, which convened at the Division Headquarters in Gulu City on Thursday and Friday.
Okumu pleaded guilty to charges of failure to protect war materials under the UPDF Act, Chapter 330. The prosecution, led by Captain Augustine Tumwebaze, explained that on December 30, 2023, Pte Okumu was on a foot patrol in Gulu City, carrying an SMG rifle (serial number 56-48000707) with 120 rounds of ammunition.
He reportedly left his squad and entered Buganda Pub, where he became intoxicated and fell asleep.
At approximately 3 a.m., Okumu was located in the pub, but his firearm and ammunition were missing. Tumwebaze informed the court that neither the gun nor the ammunition had been recovered since the incident. He urged the court to impose a severe and deterrent sentence, citing the seriousness of the situation.
In his judgment, Colonel Innocent Tukashaba, the Court Martial chairperson, emphasized the unknown risks associated with the loss of the weapon and its potential impact on the community.
“We still do not know what atrocities this weapon may have caused or if the loss was intentional,” said Col. Tukashaba. Consequently, Pte Okumu was sentenced to 52 years in a government prison.
Additionally, another soldier, Pte Dauglas Asio, 29, was dismissed from the army with disgrace. Asio had been absent without official leave (AWOL) since January 2023 after taking compassionate leave and failing to return to his post at the 409 Brigade in Arua.
He was declared AWOL in October 2023 but reported back to duty in June 2024 after learning about a salary increase for soldiers.
Col. Tukashaba cautioned all UPDF personnel that the army demands discipline, sacrifice, and patriotism, and that it is not an institution where one can come and go freely.
Following his dismissal, Pte Asio was paraded out of the Fourth Infantry Division Quarter Guard by hundreds of soldiers as a symbol of his disgrace.
