UPDF Officer Dismissed for Desertion by Court Martial

Last updated: July 31, 2024 9:16 am

The General Court Martial (GCM) in Makindye, Kampala, has dismissed Second Lieutenant Muzamir Magezi from the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) following his conviction for desertion. The ruling, delivered on July 29, 2024, involves a sentence of dismissal with disgrace.

The GCM chairperson, Brig. Gen. Robert Freeman Mugabe, stated that the court had considered various factors in its decision. These included the maximum penalty for desertion, which can be life imprisonment, Magezi’s guilty plea, and the frequency of such offenses. Despite these considerations, the court opted for dismissal with disgrace due to Magezi’s remorse, his status as a first-time offender, and the fact that he had spent one month and eleven days in remand.

Gen. Mugabe informed Magezi that he had the right to appeal the decision within 14 days if he was dissatisfied with the court’s ruling.

Magezi was represented by Captains Simon Nsubuga Busagwa and Lt. Daniel Kagombe. The prosecution, led by Col. Raphael Mugisha and Captain Alex Rasto Mukhwana, presented the case against Magezi. They detailed that in May 2020, while stationed at the Defence Intelligence and Security Headquarters in Mbuya, Kampala, Magezi left his unit without permission. His unit initially sent a warning message and later declared him absent without leave (AWOL).

Magezi was apprehended by the Military Police on June 18, 2024, in Luzira Lake Drive Zone, Nakawa Division, Kampala. He was subsequently brought before the GCM on July 15, 2024, charged with desertion.

Desertion is a serious offense under the UPDF Act, Cap 330, which can lead to life imprisonment. The prosecution’s case highlighted Magezi’s absence from his unit with no intention of returning, a serious breach of military discipline.

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