By Aggrey Baba
Lt (rtd) Michael Katungi Mpeirwe, a former Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) officer and diplomat, is currently wanted by the United States authorities, accusing him of being involved in a serious conspiracy to illegally supply military-grade weapons to one of Mexico’s most dangerous drug cartels.
According to the US indictment, Katungi and others allegedly helped smuggle a large cache of weapons including machine guns, rocket launchers, sniper rifles, grenades, night vision equipment, anti-personnel mines, and even anti-aircraft weapons to the gang since at least September 2022.
The accused allegedly created fake documents to hide the true destination of the weapons, pretending the end user was Tanzania while the guns were actually going to Mexico. The US says the scheme involved millions of dollars worth of illegal arms sales.
While others named in the case have been arrested and are awaiting extradition, Lt Katungi is free. The charges he faces carry heavy penalties, including a minimum of 10 years to life imprisonment if convicted.
Born in Kyankwanzi District, Katungi started his journey by earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Makerere University in 2000. He then joined the Uganda People’s Defence Forces as a cadet and trained at the School of Infantry in Jinja.
Over the years, he served in various military departments but eventually settled in the Defence Intelligence Service (formerly Military Intelligence), a sensitive wing of Uganda’s armed forces.
Katungi gained prominence in the security scene when he was part of the investigation into the helicopter crash that killed John Garang, then Vice President of Sudan, in 2005.
He was also involved in a high-profile military case in 2006 concerning allegations of leaking information to opposition leaders, which further highlighted his role in intelligence work.
Throughout his military career, Katungi enhanced his skills with several training courses abroad, studying terrorism and security studies at the George Marshall European Institute of Security Studies in Germany where he earned a postgraduate diploma in 2012. That same year, he also completed an MBA in International Business from Amity University in India.
Beyond Uganda, Katungi served as a diplomat in countries such as Ethiopia and Nigeria, and worked with the African Union in Addis Ababa. His roles often involved security logistics, investigations, and advisory duties. In 2014, he was part of an African Union human rights mission to South Sudan.
His political involvement is closely linked to Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugsba’s Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU). In January 2023, Gen Muhoozi appointed Katungi as the PLU’s Commissioner for External Affairs, entrusting him with managing relations within Uganda and abroad, especially with the Ugandan diaspora.
Katungi also played a key role in 2015 as a mediator during the return of Gen David Sejusa, a former intelligence chief who had gone into exile after criticizing President Museveni and his family. He was also among the few people President Museveni credited for helping negotiate Sejusa’s return.
In 2019, Katungi briefly sought to represent Uganda in the East African Legislative Assembly on the NRM ticket but later withdrew, reportedly on Museveni’s advice, hence being posted as deputy head of mission at the Ugandan embassy in Nigeria before moving on to the African Union.
Katungi is now on tje wanted list of the world’s superpower, with charges accusing him of helping facilitate a large illegal arms trafficking operation worth over UGX 200 billion involving weapons that could fuel violent crime in Mexico.
The indictment says he was recruited by others in the scheme to help cover up the true destination of the arms and to provide the necessary documents.
Katungi has, according to journalist Andrew Bagala dismissed the allegations as false and malicious. Telling the public to ignore with contempt what he called “malicious accusations.”
The PLU has described the charges against Katungi as blackmail and promised to investigate the origin and sponsors of the allegations.
Currently, Katungi is also pursuing a PhD in peace and security studies in Germany, expected to graduate next year.
