Maj Gen Don William Nabasa, the former commander of Uganda’s elite Special Forces Command, has walked free after Chief of Defence Forces Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba dramatically dropped all charges that had kept the senior officer in detention for months.
The announcement was made Thursday through Gen Muhoozi’s official X account, where he disclosed that the decision followed a lengthy private meeting with Nabasa. The army chief praised the general for his long-standing service in the Uganda People’s Defence Forces and thanked him for his contribution to the military since 1998.
Nabasa’s arrest earlier this year had stirred intense debate within Uganda’s security and political establishment. In March, he was detained alongside Brig Gen Johnson Namanya Abaho during a major internal military operation reportedly targeting corruption and misconduct among senior UPDF officers.
The arrests were said to have been sanctioned directly by Gen Muhoozi as part of a wider campaign to tighten discipline and accountability within the armed forces. The two officers were later confined at the Special Forces Command facility in Kasenyi on Entebbe Road while investigations continued.
Before his detention, Nabasa was serving as Joint Staff for Policy and Strategy, a powerful office responsible for shaping military planning and operational direction. His military résumé includes several high-profile assignments that placed him among the UPDF’s most influential commanders.
The senior officer previously commanded the Special Forces Command after taking over from Gen Muhoozi in 2017. During his career, he also led the UPDF Military Police and headed Ugandan peacekeeping troops deployed under the African Union mission in Somalia.
His release now mirrors that of Brig Gen Johnson Namanya, who was also recently freed after meeting with the Chief of Defence Forces. Military officials described that engagement as cordial and confirmed that all allegations against him had been dismissed.
Although the military leadership has remained silent on the exact accusations faced by the two generals, their arrests fueled speculation about a deep internal cleanup operation within the UPDF. Since taking over as CDF in March 2024, Gen Muhoozi has overseen sweeping command changes, disciplinary measures, and structural reforms aimed at reinforcing control and restoring confidence in the army’s leadership.
