Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba has removed Michael Katungi Mpeirwe from his position as Commissioner for External Affairs of the Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU) and expelled him from the movement’s Central Committee.
“I have decided to remove, Michael Katungi, as Commissioner External Affairs of PLU. He is also removed as a member of our Central Committee. From now on only the Chairman will appoint the foreign committees of our movement,” Gen. Muhoozi wrote on his X account.
The dismissal follows Katungi’s indictment in the United States over allegations that he conspired to supply military-grade weapons to Mexico’s feared Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG).
According to the U.S. Justice Department, Katungi, a Ugandan national with government ties, worked alongside Kenyan national Elisha Odhiambo Asumo in securing end-user certificates (EUCs) and delivery verification protocols (DVPs) through bribes and kickbacks—documents required to legally track arms transactions and prevent illegal access by criminal groups or terrorist organisations.
Despite these safeguards, prosecutors allege Katungi and his co-conspirators allegedly manipulated the EUC and DVP system to facilitate the transfer of military-grade weaponry, including AK-47s, machine guns, rocket launchers, grenades, sniper rifles, night vision equipment, anti-personnel mines, and anti-aircraft weapons, to the CJNG.
Katungi has previously held high-profile security and diplomatic roles, including deputy head of mission at Uganda’s High Commission and policy advisory positions within the African Union in countries such as Tanzania, Sudan, Ethiopia, and Kenya. In 2024, he became the PLU diaspora head, a move that elevated his political influence within the movement.
The U.S. indictment, unsealed in the Eastern District of Virginia, also names Bulgarian arms trafficker Peter Dimitrov Mirchev, Tanzanian national Subiro Osmund Mwapinga, and Asumo, alleging that the group coordinated shipments of weaponry to the CJNG while attempting to evade international law enforcement detection.
Prosecutors claim a test shipment in 2022 involved 50 AK-47 assault rifles exported from Bulgaria using falsified EUCs from Tanzania to conceal the weapons’ final destination. The conspiracy allegedly extended to include surface-to-air missiles, anti-aircraft drones, and the ZU-23 anti-aircraft system, with the total value of weaponry estimated at approximately €53.7 million (about Shs 200 billion).
Katungi previously ran for parliament in 2021 for Butemba County in Kyakwanzi District as an independent candidate but lost, and also failed in the recently concluded National Resistance Movement (NRM) primaries.
The indictment highlights the global reach of the alleged conspiracy and underscores the severity of the charges, which could result in lengthy prison terms if Katungi and his co-accused are convicted.
Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba has removed Michael Katungi Mpeirwe from his position as Commissioner for External Affairs of the Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU) and expelled him from the movement’s Central Committee.
“I have decided to remove, Michael Katungi, as Commissioner External Affairs of PLU. He is also removed as a member of our Central Committee. From now on only the Chairman will appoint the foreign committees of our movement,” Gen. Muhoozi wrote on his X account.
The dismissal follows Katungi’s indictment in the United States over allegations that he conspired to supply military-grade weapons to Mexico’s feared Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG).
According to the U.S. Justice Department, Katungi, a Ugandan national with government ties, worked alongside Kenyan national Elisha Odhiambo Asumo in securing end-user certificates (EUCs) and delivery verification protocols (DVPs) through bribes and kickbacks—documents required to legally track arms transactions and prevent illegal access by criminal groups or terrorist organisations.
Despite these safeguards, prosecutors allege Katungi and his co-conspirators allegedly manipulated the EUC and DVP system to facilitate the transfer of military-grade weaponry, including AK-47s, machine guns, rocket launchers, grenades, sniper rifles, night vision equipment, anti-personnel mines, and anti-aircraft weapons, to the CJNG.
Katungi has previously held high-profile security and diplomatic roles, including deputy head of mission at Uganda’s High Commission and policy advisory positions within the African Union in countries such as Tanzania, Sudan, Ethiopia, and Kenya. In 2024, he became the PLU diaspora head, a move that elevated his political influence within the movement.
The U.S. indictment, unsealed in the Eastern District of Virginia, also names Bulgarian arms trafficker Peter Dimitrov Mirchev, Tanzanian national Subiro Osmund Mwapinga, and Asumo, alleging that the group coordinated shipments of weaponry to the CJNG while attempting to evade international law enforcement detection.
Prosecutors claim a test shipment in 2022 involved 50 AK-47 assault rifles exported from Bulgaria using falsified EUCs from Tanzania to conceal the weapons’ final destination. The conspiracy allegedly extended to include surface-to-air missiles, anti-aircraft drones, and the ZU-23 anti-aircraft system, with the total value of weaponry estimated at approximately €53.7 million (about Shs 200 billion).
Katungi previously ran for parliament in 2021 for Butemba County in Kyakwanzi District as an independent candidate but lost, and also failed in the recently concluded National Resistance Movement (NRM) primaries.
The indictment highlights the global reach of the alleged conspiracy and underscores the severity of the charges, which could result in lengthy prison terms if Katungi and his co-accused are convicted.
