How Museveni plotted to bring police under Military’s thumb

 How Museveni manages security

At best Museveni’s appointment of Ochola represents an appeasement of the old guard in police who felt sidelined by Kayihura. But Museveni clearly has every intention of keeping the police as an appendage of the military. And the man to ensure that is Ochola’s new deputy; Brig. Sabiiti Magyenyi, the former Commander Military Police.

Magyenyi is likely to emerge as the true commander of the force that Kayihura had built over the last 12 years.

He will control the Shs500 billion plus budget, and expand its role in intelligence gathering, crime fighting, counterterrorism, and political counter mobilisation against the opposition. These are the things that gave Kayihura clout.

But they are also what attracted enemies for Kayihura to the extent that even Museveni became wary of him. According to informed sources, Kayihura was removed partly because Museveni perceived him as a threat to his power; especially once intelligence reports started emerging that he was getting support from Rwanda (because of ethnic links and close relationship with Rwandan President Paul Kagame). Although sounding far fetched to the politically naïve, Museveni is not one to dismiss such intelligence. He is known to eliminate threats, assumed or real.

So first, it is said, Musevenihad appointed Tumukunde as security minister although he was aware that it would create friction with Kayihura. Museveni’s gambit was to signal to Kayihura that he is being watched.

After appointing Tumukunde, Museveni appointed Kandiho to head CMI, which returned the military intelligence outfit back to the apex of Uganda’s security system. Working with Tumukunde, Kaka Bagyenda also revived ISO to counter police.

Over the years, this has been Museveni’s way of managing the security agencies. When Jim Muhwezi was the Director General ISO, ISO was at the apex of the security system. When Muhwezi was kicked out, Museveni put the late Brig. Noble Mayombo then heading CMI at the top of the security system. With CMI facing intense criticism over torture and becoming a major cost on his government’s reputation, Museveni turned his eyes onto police, ejected Gen. Katumba Wamala and appointed Kayihura Police Chief. Gen. Kayihura built police and put it at the top. With Kayihura becoming a threat, Museveni has put CMI on top again.

Meanwhile pressure had been mounting from President Museveni’s inner circle, civil intelligence and military intelligence to kick out Kayihura. But not known to act under any one’s pressure, the president kept his police chief on the job.

 Kayihura’s troubles

Kayihura’s fall has been loud because Museveni had, over the years, severally praised him as a great cadre. The President in May last year renewed Kayihura’s contract clearing him to add on his 12 years as police chief, the longest in Uganda’s history.

While Museveni often quarreled with Tumukunde in cabinet meetings, the closest he got to express concerns about Kayihura was last year when he complained that police had been infiltrated by bad elements.

Still, after that, in October last year, the president attended the thanksgiving for Kayihura’s father, the late John Kale Kalekyezi, who he described as a great Pan Africanist at Isaaza Grounds in Kisoro Municipality. President Museveni then thanked Gen. Kayihura for keeping his father’s legacy alive and celebrating him.

Kayihura appeared to have earned his power by turning the police into a political arm of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM).

In using the police to fortify Museveni in power, Kayihura has been able to successfully divert a significant amount of budgetary resources to the force, thereby turning it from a sidelined and weak organisation into the most visible institution in Uganda’s power politics. When Kayihura joined police in 2005, police budget was under Shs70 billion; it has since skyrocketed to about Shs500 billion.

Kayihura’s success appeared to walk hand in hand with his doom.

Last year, the situation appeared to get out of hand. When Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIGP) Andrew Felix Kaweesi was murdered in March, many pointed to rogue elements in police. It was the 12th high profile murder under Kayihura’s watch but it was worse because it had claimed a central security figure and spread doubt and fear that a force that couldn’t protect its own couldn’t protect the public.

In the same year, machete wielding gangs sent shock waves across central Uganda. When police carried out a sting, some of the suspects said they were working with police. As security officials were still grappling with this crisis, a spate of women murders also engulfed Kampala suburbs.

His troubles were worsened by tensions with Rwanda other than his own actions. The rising crime wave, botched up investigations, and bust ups with ISO and the army, were a trigger not the powder keg of his troubles.