The General Court Martial has dropped all charges against General Kale Kayihura that were filed in 2018, a year after he was replaced as the Police Chief.

The charges against Kayihura were dropped by Brig Gen Robert Freeman Mugabe who presided over the hearing as Kayihura appeared before the General Court Martial in Makindye, on Wednesday, August 30, 2023.

The charges were dropped after the Lt Col Raphael Mugisha, representing the State told court that the Director of Public Prosecutions had withdrawn all charges.

“The State has withdrawn charges against you, and accordingly set you free,” Mugabe said.

Kayihura, expressed his gratitude to God and President Museveni after seeing that the General Court Martial has dropped all charges against him.

“I am extremely happy, above all I would like to thank God, who has sustained me, because it has been by his grace, that this was made possible and I thank our President and all the people who have made this possible, more will be communicated at a later stage,” Kayihura said.

The charges dropped were two counts of failure to protect war materials, aiding and abetting the kidnapping of Rwandese refugees and Ugandan citizens to Rwanda between 2012 and 2016.

His release comes at a time he is due for retirement from Uganda People’s Defense Forces (UPDF), at the army headquarters in Mbuya on Thursday August 31, 2023.