By Spy Uganda
Former Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) officer Michael Katungi Mpeirwe has been extradited to the United States, where he is expected to face trial over alleged involvement in international drug trafficking, firearms offences and providing material support to a designated foreign terrorist organisation.
Mpeirwe was taken from Luzira Prison at about 6am on Saturday and handed over to representatives of the US government at the American Embassy in Kampala. He underwent a medical examination before being transported to Entebbe, where he was placed on a chartered aircraft bound for Virginia.
He is expected to appear before the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, Alexandria Division, to answer the charges brought against him.
The extradition follows a request submitted by the US government to Uganda in December 2025. Ugandan authorities subsequently handled the matter through the country’s extradition procedures, with the Chief Magistrate’s Court at Buganda Road finding that the legal requirements for his surrender had been met.
In a ruling dated August 28, 2026, the court committed Mpeirwe to custody pending a final decision on his surrender.
Justice and Constitutional Affairs Minister Norbert Mao later authorised the extradition in September, directing the Uganda Prisons Service to release Mpeirwe into the custody of an authorised US representative.
US prosecutors accuse Mpeirwe of conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute at least five kilogrammes of cocaine, allegedly knowing that the drugs were intended for unlawful importation into the United States.
He also faces a charge of conspiring to possess firearms, including a machine gun and destructive device, in connection with an alleged drug trafficking operation.
The third charge relates to an alleged conspiracy to provide material support or resources to a foreign terrorist organisation designated by the US government.
According to Mao, the extradition was considered under Uganda’s Extradition Act and the 1988 United Nations Convention Against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances.
The minister said the surrender was carried out in accordance with Ugandan law and the applicable extradition arrangements between the two countries.
With his transfer out of Uganda, the extradition proceedings before Ugandan authorities have effectively concluded. Mpeirwe will now face the US judicial process, where the allegations against him will be determined by the court.
