CORRUPTION CRACKDOWN! IGG Asks Gen.Muhoozi to probe UPDF Colonel’s Sh100bn abnormal wealth, exposes property list
By Pepper Intelligence Unit
The Inspector General of Government (IGG) has asked the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, to investigate his junior, the former commander UPDF Engineering Brigade, Col. Godfrey Tukamwakira’s alleged illicit wealth.
The abnormal wealth allegations are contained in a letter dated May 5th, 2025, issued by deputy IGG Dr.Patricia Achan Okiria to The Chief of Defence Forces, Uganda People’s Defence Force (UPDF).
Seen by Redpepper intelligence unit, it is titled ‘ALLEGED ILLICIT ENRICHMENT BY COL. GODFREY TUKAMWAKIRA’.
The ombudsman says her office was acting on a complaint alleging that Col. Tukamwakira, while serving under Engineering Brigade, Uganda People’s Defence Force, massed a lot of wealth which is not commensurate to his salary.
The complaint lists numerous multibillion assets allegedly linked to Col. Tukamwakira, including large tracts of land, cattle farms, commercial properties, luxury vehicles, estates, apartments and fat bank accounts spread across Uganda and abroad.
Some of these properties are reportedly registered in the names of Col. Tukamwakira’s relatives, including his wife Tukwasibwe Grace who is not formally employed and brother-in-law. The complaint also lists caretakers of these properties and their identities including contact numbers whose details we have withheld for now.
“The purpose of this letter is therefore to forward this complaint to your office to handle it to its logical conclusion. For further details regarding the matter, contact Director – Leadership Code Directorate,” she wrote.
ASSETS LIST
The complaint links Col.Tukamwakira to a seven (7) square miles of farm-land in Nakaseke District- Wakayato subcounty-Kirinda Parish-Kirinda village once owned by the former Principal Accountant in the Ministry of Public Service Christopher Obey then considered to be one of the biggest landlords in the country.
He succumbed to pneumonia in 2021 while serving his 14 year jail term at Luzira prison.
Rumours have however failed to go away alleging the death was faked and was instead sneaked out of Luzira prison with the help of a UPDF General from Greater Bushenyi and currently living a comfortable life in one of the European countries.
It was alleged Col.Tukamwakira bought Obey land in the names of his brother in law Brian Agaba . It was reportedly bought at Sh7,770,0000,000 in 2023. The farm reportedly has over 600 Bronne cows for beef production and over 200 goats.
The Deputy IGG also links Col.Tukamwakira to a four square miles of land and farm found in Kacheera-Kibaati Rakai District once owned by Late Justice Keneth Kakuru bought at Sh4bn with over 200 cattle and 150goats.
Other properties linked to him, according to the IGG, include commercial rooms in Ovino shopping mall and Gwanda Arcade in Kampala, four square miles of land along Masaka Lyantonde Road approximately 1km from Lyantode town, a petrol station, lodges and a hotel in Kibaati-Kacheera Rakai District on five acres of land bought from Mukande Nyabishiki near Kacheera Police Post.
Others include several estates and apartments in Namugogo, Wakiso.
The IGG complaint further links the wealthy UPDF boss to a coffee farm in Kaju/Kakyera Rakai with over 100 acres of land which was allegedly bought from Mzee Mugarura at Sh4bn, Fourty acres of land off Gayaza Road, eucalyptus trees in Akright estate, a hostel in Nkumba, Abayita Babiri Entebbe and as well a flat with four floors with residential and commercial rooms in Kabale Municipality.
And that’s not all, the wealth complaint which lists over 30 properties also further links the UPDF Colonel to 12.30 acres of land along Pastor Ronnie Makabai Road, Bwerenga, Wakiso, an estate in Kawempe Tula with 12 apartments, a banana plantation in Kawempe Tula on Mbogo Hill, a home, mansion in Kawempe- Tula Kinyarwanda Cell with multiple plots surrounding it, land in Kiwurwe, Wakiso along Lake Victoria and land in Bwerenga Wakiso like 14km off Entebbe Road.
As if that’s not enough, Col.Tukamwakira is also linked to multiple plots in Rukungiri Municipality and Kashenyi Bugangari-his wife’s home.
The letter also talks about multiple plots in Lyantonde and a cattle farm with above 200 Ankole cows, 150 Diary cows and Goats at Kyamubagizi and Kyakalinda Villages.
The former Engineers Brigade commander is also linked to Magyenza farm sitting at over four square miles of land with over 400 cows and goats, two luxurious cars at his home in Kawempe Tula (Brand new Toyota Prado TX and brand new Toyota Surf), Sino truck and Forward vehicles, Byezitire cattle and coffee farm with 100cows and over 50 goats bought at sh3.6bn, multiple plots and estates in Mbarara City, a mansion in Kasheregyenyi, Kamungaguzi in Kabale District off Katuna Kabaale Road at his village home, flat house in Makanga Kabale town and a mansion in Rweibare Kashenyi Bugangari Rukungiri District at his mother In-laws home.
On top of multiple fat bank accounts in Uganda, Col.Tukamwakira has also been linked to other properties and projects in India and Nigeria which are allegedly always supervised by Wife Grace Tukwasibwe whose alleged evidence is her passport.
“The purpose of this letter is therefore to forward this complaint to your office to handle it to its logical conclusion,” Dr.Patricia concluded and referred the CDF to the Leadership Code Directorate for all details regarding the matter.
WHY IGG RAN TO CDF
It’s unclear why the IGG forwarded the complaint to the CDF instead of handling it directly, given the IGG’s mandate to investigate corruption.
However, it goes without mention that this could be in the spirit of President Museveni guidance in 2022 to IGG Beti Kamya Turwomwe, not to compel soldiers and other security personnel to declare their wealth publicly under the Leadership Code of 2021, no matter what the law says.
The president said in a letter dated April 24, 2022, to the IGG that “the law must be in tandem, with logic.”
In the letter, Museveni said: “The logic is that the identities and details of army personnel should be the monopoly of the CPA (Chief of Personnel and Administration). Even he/she may not know all the details because it is dangerous to do so. The wealth, in terms of conduct of the personnel of the defence forces, is monitored by a wing of CMI (Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence). This wing is known as counterintelligence. Military intelligence gathers information about enemy armies and other enemy groups. On the other hand, counterintelligence gathers information about possible pollution of our own defence forces (enemy agents, political subversives, corrupt people).”
“Therefore, the IGG, if it is his/ her mandate to fight corruption in the defence forces as well, should work through CMI, and not directly. A similar arrangement should also be made for the police and ESO (external security organization). Police personnel are public officials. They are not so secretive. Should they have a separate, autonomous, mechanism? Let the Vice President, Prime Minister, Minister of Security, Minister of Internal Affairs, etc., discuss this,” Museveni added.
The Leadership Code (Amendment) Act, 2021, makes it mandatory for all public officers to periodically declare their assets, incomes, and liabilities to the IGG. The act also recommends punishments for officials who either delay or declare false information.
COL. TUKAMWAKIRA ARRESTED
The Redpepper intelligence unit has learnt that Co.Tukamwakira was arrested early this year and has spent over five months in detention on the orders of Gen. Muhoozi. This implies the IGG letter (dated May 5th ) came months after his arrest.
Military sources say, however, his arrest was also related to corruption allegations while he was the commander of UPDF Engineering Brigade. The IGG letter could have sealed his fate by lending credence to the allegations.
The CDF, who has vowed to take corruption head on starting in his own backyard was reportedly overwhelmed by the information he got about the rot at the UPDF Engineering Brigade especially during Col.Tukamwakira tenure as the boss and was left with no option but to order his arrest.
We shall reveal all the rot and corrupt deals in the Engineering Brigade in our subsequent publications.
We could not confirm whether Col.Tukamwakira was still in detention at the time of this publication.
Sources say the CDF is quietly investigating the Engineering Brigade and many officers including juniors are about to fall. He has mostly been shocked by the amount of wealth they possess which can’t match their colleagues in other divisions.
We are still veryfying a list of officers under probe and their alleged wealth before we can publish it.
Early this month Gen. Muhoozi also ordered the arrest of Brig Gen Cyrus Besigye Bekunda, Chief Joint Staff Engineer, and other officers from the UPDF Engineers Brigade over same corruption allegations.
“Yesterday, I ordered the arrest of Brig. Bekunda Besigye and other officers of the Engineers Brigade,” he said on July 2nd via X.
He added: “They poisoned, contaminated and desecrated a sacred principle we have always embraced as UPDF i.e. we can be self-sufficient, we can be efficient. They received monies and misused it! Let their punishment serve as a lesson to others.”
The Engineers Brigade is central to military construction projects, infrastructure development, and logistical operations across Uganda.
It has long been praised for its role in delivering cost-effective public works, ranging from barracks to civilian road infrastructure.
It has been responsible for key infrastructure development across the country, including construction projects in sectors like health, education, and roads.
While details surrounding the alleged misuse of funds remain under wraps, military sources say an internal audit flagged irregularities in procurement and project management activities within the brigade.
Several government departments are also accusing the Engineering Brigade of resorting to threats
,intimidation and coercion to secure contracts from them as we shall report later. One of the victims are top bosses at one of the boards/authorities under ministry of education while they embarked on construction of a Secretariat along Kigobe Road, Kyambogo Hill, next to Public Health Nurses College.
UPDF has been contacted for a comment.
Col.Tukamwakira representatives could also not be reached for a comment.
Gen. Muhoozi has consistently positioned the fight against corruption as a central pillar of his leadership since assuming the role of CDF.
He has often stated that the UPDF must remain an institution of integrity, accountability, and service to the people.
His recent actions highlight the CDF’s commitment to cleansing the army of officers who betray the values that have built the UPDF into a respected and professional force.
Analysts view the crackdown as part of Gen. Muhoozi’s broader strategy to strengthen institutional discipline, restore confidence in military operations, and reinforce transparency within the force.
“Any individual or group with selfish interests—whether corruption, misappropriation of resources, or mismanagement of any kind—must reform immediately or leave our cherished UPDF before they are exposed,” Gen Muhoozi warned last year during the closing ceremony of a logistics and inventory management retreat at the College of Logistics and Engineering (COLE) in Magamaga, Jinja.
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