Fortunate Habyara appointed commandant of witness protection unit

Kampala, Uganda  | THE INDEPENDENT |  Commissioner of Police Fortunate Habyara is the new Commandant of the Police Witness Protection Unit. He was appointed in a transfer message signed on Saturday but released on Tuesday afternoon by Col. Jesse Kamunanwire, the Director Human Resource Management Uganda Police Force. 

Habyara replaces Superintendent of Police, Cyrus Tugume Katta, who has been serving in acting capacity since the reign of Gen Edward Kale Kayihura. The Police Witness Protection Unit is mandated with protecting witnesses whose life is deemed to be at risk given the nature of the cases they are involved in.

Habyara once led the Professional Standards Unit but his reign was marred with bribery allegations. Police officers accused him of witch hunting them with unfounded service offenses purposely to poke holes in his work methods. He was dropped by Kayihura in 2017 and replaced with Senior Commissioner of Police Joel Aguma who was later arrested by Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence on allegations of kidnapping and illegally repatriating Rwanda refugees.

After Aguma’s arrest, Gen Kayihura appointed Good Mwesigwa the commander of the Professional Standards Unit. But he too was dropped in three weeks’ time on allegations that some guns recovered from robbers had disappeared from his unit before he came to PSU. 

Habyara’s appointment is part of the resolutions made at the November 18, 2019 Police Council meeting to ensure that all officers holding positions supposed to be for particular ranks are dropped or promoted. The Witness Protection Unit of the police is supposed to be under the Command of an officer at the rank of Assistant Commissioner of Police. 

Also transferred is Assistant Commissioner of Police Lydia Kantono from the Operations Directorate led by AIGP Asuman Mugenyi to the Police Analysis and Forensic unit. Senior Superintendent of Police Ssemambo Wilson has been moved from analysis unit to counter intelligence.

SSP Otong Ignatius has been appointed Rwenzori West Regional Police Commander while, Christopher Katumba and Denis Anywar to the Environmental Police Protection Unit and North Kyoga regional Field Force Unit respectively.   Others are Diana Nyamisango who moves to Pallisa as District Police Commander, Justus Asiimwe to the Field Force Unit headquarters, Soro Biira to Chief Police Commissar and Nyakoojo Methodius to Rwenzori West as Regional Crime Intelligence Officer.

*********

URN