The Ugandan army says it is planning to court martial a soldier suspected of knowingly infecting dozens of women with the HIV virus that can lead to Aids.

The soldier, named as Captain Paddy Sekyalo, was arrested on Monday, after he was reported to have admitted publicly at the Ggaba Mosque in Kampala, that he had infected at least 30 women.

Most of his alleged victims were traders who sold alcohol and firewood.

"We called him into the office of the chief-of-staff to explain himself, but it wasn't satisfactory, so he was put under arrest," said army spokesman Captain Shaban Bantariza.

"Investigations are going to take place, and he will probably be prosecuted first on an offence of spreading HIV consciously, and secondly for saying it publicly, which has its own effects," said Captain Bantazira.

Captain Paddy Sekyalo, 40, was detained at the defence ministry headquarters in Bombo, but he had not yet been tested for the disease. An estimated 2m of Uganda's 23m-strong population carry the HIV virus, though the number of cases has declined over the past 10 years.

The infection rate among Uganda's 40,000-member army is reported to be particularly high.

President Yoweri Museveni told a rally in 1996 that about 2,000 soldiers died each year of Aids-related illnesses.