President Yoweri Museveni’s latest round of dismissals has brought a dramatic close to what insiders have dubbed the “Robert Mugabe Koch Saga,” while also signalling a renewed push to restore trust in State House operations.
The saga dates back to 2023, when then–Aide-de-Camp (ADC) Lt. Col. Robert Mugabe Koch was abruptly sidelined after returning from studies abroad — reportedly without the President’s knowledge. The move prompted a rare and direct intervention by Museveni, who fired senior Special Forces Command (SFC) officers and reinstated Koch.
However, this week’s reshuffle has ended that chapter, with Koch redeployed as commander of the UPDF’s 503 Division. His transfer forms part of broader changes that sources say follow internal investigations into alleged breaches of protocol at the highest levels.
State House probes in recent years have already resulted in a string of high-profile arrests, including Lt. Vicky Munaaba, who managed presidential correspondence; Rose Nalunga, a private secretary accused of leaking classified information; Corporal Moses Kebba, a switchboard operator; and businessman Michael Christopher Ayeranga.
Addressing aides, Museveni reportedly expressed concern over what he described as a “trust and access crisis” within State House. He lamented that even senior officials, such as Presidential Press Unit head Marcella Karekye, were deferring citizen requests to his daughter, Natasha Karugire.
Although he stopped short of using the phrase “draining the swamp,” the President’s orders left little doubt about his intent, telling close associates that he expects “the dust to be swept away” in his own corridors of power.