How Museveni plotted to bring police under Military’s thumb

Kayihura was accused of stage-managing confessions by known criminals to implicate Tumukunde in murders, including that of Kaweesi.

But Kayihura’s weakened position was exposed when CMI entered the investigations into the murder of one Francis Ekalungar, the former accountant of Case Clinic, and arrested Huzair Kiwalabye, a brother of Kayihura’s operative Abdallah Kitata, the self-proclaimed patron of Boda Boda 2010.

The arrest of Kitatta was a major window into how far the military was willing to go to dismantle the power structure of Kayihura.

Kitata has faced military court and been remanded together with 12 others over charges of unlawful possession of arms. The arrest signaled the return of CMI to the apex of Uganda’s ever-changing security infrastructure.

Kitatta’s arrest came months after another round of investigations climaxed into the arrest and trial of seven police officers close to Kayihura before the General Court Martial (GCM) on Oct.27.

The seven included; Senior Superintendent of Police Nixon Agasirwe, the former commander Special Operations Unit, Senior Commissioner of Police Joel Aguma, the commandant of the police Professional Standards Unit, Assistant Superintendent of Police Magada, crime intelligence; Benon Atwebembeire, Sgt Abel Tumukunde, the Kampala Metropolitan Police flying squad commander, Faisal Katende, flying squad and  Amon Kwarisima.

They were supposed to be 12 but five were yet to be netted, a source intimated. Jonathan Baroza, the former Aide to Gen. Kayihura, was also targeted.

They were charged with conveying Joel Mutabazi; a former presidential guard for Rwanda President Paul Kagame and Jackson Kalemera without their consent to Rwanda.

Kayihura’s foes used intelligence against him from one Ali Kabanda, a Special Police Constable who was attached to the Police Flying Squad but claims his life was under threat because of his knowledge of the arrests and extradition of Rwandan refugees.

Kabanda had revealed that at the centre of these operations were Nixon Agasirwe, one of the seven facing trial, Baroza, who was Kayihura’s aide and Ismail Baguma, who officials at CMI had expressed concerns about.

Tumukundes’s troubles

Tumukunde’s fortunes, meanwhile, exploded when he resorted to his known penchant for braggadocio, relishing the jet-set life and fighting colleagues in public. He also churned out a stream of, especially financial fake intelligence, against others and openly criticised government.

Kayihura, it is said, angered Museveni when he directed the rank and file not to share intelligence with the military without his approval. It was reportedly seen as a direct affront to Museveni who had directed the military to take over police roles. Officially, it was described as against the spirit of the National Security Council, the highest security body that brings together security chiefs from different bodies to deal with security issues.

Matters were not helped by the recent high profile murders in hotels (Tersvour iToomajuha Petteri, a 42-year-old Finish national , who died at Pearl of Africa Hotel on Feb.08 and Alex Sebastian, a 40-year-old Swede, who died at Sheraton Hotel on Feb.06) and of Suzan Magara who was kidnapped in the Kampala surburb of Rubaga Division on Feb.07.

Magara’s parents paid a ransom of about Shs700 million and Museveni got personally involved but failed to save her as her body was discovered at Kitiko near Entebbe Expressway. Security inter-agency rivalry became a focal point of anger and left Museveni frustrated. It gave Museveni the perfect circumstances to fire Kayihura and Tumukunde.

Since Kayihurawas already encircled, it was easy for Museveni to swing the axe without fear of jeorpadising national security although the inter-agency fights had exposed vulnerabilities in Uganda’s security system and were failing to solve crime.

Kandiho, Magyenyi and their boss, Gen. Muhoozi are all astute officers and respected commanders. Working together they have cracked the women murders and have been dealing with other crimes. Kandiho is also said to have experience in counterterrorism.

But at this point, having dismantled Kayihura’s network, they must build a new network to replace Kayihura’s. They must reengineer the bulk of the rank and file who were recruits of Kayihura.

It will be interesting to watch how Magyenyi works with Ochola who already knows the inner workings of police. Indeed, Brig. Magyenyi’s role will be to neutralise any potential threats with in police and keep it under firm control of the military and reportedly purge it of any lingering sympathies for any perceived internal and external security threats.