The court martial sitting in Moroto district in Karamoja sub region has handed a 35-year jail term to private Abraham Engwedu aged 44 for desertion.
Col Francis Kateraho of Court Martial delivered the verdict on Sunday and Engwedu is slated to serve his sentence in Moroto government prisons.
According to court proceedings, Engwedu, previously assigned to the 19th infantry battalion, absconded while armed from his unit in November 2006 at Matany detach, Napak district and has since been on run.
He remained at his residence in Kalaki district until apprehended, with government stores subsequently recovered by security personnel.
During the same three-day session, the court also dismissed with disgrace private Stephen Jarili of 3rd Division headquarters, who was attached to Mount Elgon Conservation Area under the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA).
He had been granted a 14-day leave pass from his duty station in Mbale on September 4, 2017, but failed to report back until February 23, 2023, marking an extended period of absence, classified as absent without official leave (AWOL). This was Indiscipline which the army can not tolerate.
Both individuals were convicted based on their guilty pleas. In delivering the verdict, Col Francis Kateraho, the 3rd division court martial chairman, emphasized that the severity of the sentence aims to deter potential future offenders from doing similar incidences.
He underscored the military’s uncompromising stance against desertion, highlighting the significant investment in personnel training. The court granted a 14-day window for appeal should either party wish to contest the judgment
