Former Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) Chief of Defence Intelligence and Security Maj Gen Richard Otto Owilli has defended his recent reassignment, describing military transfers as a normal part of service. Otto dismissed suggestions that his replacement was unusual, saying officers routinely move between positions as others take over their responsibilities.
Otto was replaced by his former deputy, Maj Gen Oscar Munanura, in changes announced on Tuesday by Col Chris Magezi, the acting director of defence public information. Munanura, who previously held the rank of brigadier, was promoted to acting major general and appointed Chief of Defence Intelligence and Security by Chief of Defence Forces Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba.
Following the changes, Otto was reassigned to the Joint Staff Human Resource Management Department pending redeployment. Speaking to Uganda Radio Network on Wednesday, he explained that transfers were part of normal military operations and should not automatically be interpreted as a sign of trouble.
“These transfers are normal; they are healthy. Before I was there, I was somewhere, and I knew I took over from someone, so someone should also take over from me. Transfers are normal,” Otto said, emphasising that military officers must be ready to take on different responsibilities throughout their careers.
The former intelligence chief also revealed that he was yet to establish where he would be deployed next. He explained that he had not immediately handed over his office because the process required adequate preparation, including the preparation of handover reports and the orderly transfer of responsibilities.
Responding to questions about the delay, Otto rejected the suggestion that he should have handed over his duties immediately after the announcement. He argued that he had only been transferred the previous day and needed sufficient time to prepare the necessary documentation. “You don’t even prepare a handover report? Unless maybe when you are running away, we don’t work like that,” he said.
Otto served as Chief of Defence Intelligence and Security for slightly more than a year after his appointment in April 2025. He replaced Maj Gen James Birungi, who had headed the Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence. Birungi is currently facing court-martial proceedings following his arrest in August 2025 over allegations of fabricating intelligence reports.
Otto’s reassignment comes amid other changes and developments involving senior military officers. On October 27, Muhoozi announced that retired Gen Peter Elwelu had been stripped of his military ranks and reduced to the rank of private, while also claiming that soldiers previously attached to Elwelu had been arrested and weapons recovered from properties linked to him. Although these developments have attracted public attention, Otto has maintained that his own reassignment is a routine military procedure rather than an unusual occurrence.
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