Kayihura’s fall

Kayihura later confided in people close to him that he could tell from the CDF’s tone that the army was going to arrest him.

By the time the helicopter landed with Mbadi and Kandiho again on board with more soldiers, Kayihura was ready.

They searched the house and later flew Kayihura to Entebbe. From Entebbe, Kayihura was driven to MakindyeBaracks in Kampala.

The incident was a public relations fumble for the army. Initially, several government officials denied that there was a move to arrest Kayihura. Then later, the army spokesperson, Brig. Richard Karemire, confirmed that Kayihura had been flown to Kampala to meet the army leadership.

Rwandan noose around Kayihura

That same day he arrived at Makindye, Kayihura met his interrogators who included the head of the CMI Abel Kandiho and his team, the Director General Internal Security Organisation (ISO) Col.Bagyenda and his team, the Director Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID) Grace Akullo and her team, amongst others.

Given reports that former police operatives now under military detention had made confessions implicating Kayihura, the police chief had suspicions of what was coming and the interrogators did not waste time.

“You murdered Kaweesi,” one told him.

“Why would I do that?” Kayihura said.

“You feared he was going to take your job because he was a rising star.”

“But I am the one who was promoting him (Kaweesi),” Kayihura reportedly said at one point. And the interrogation went on.

The line of accusation and questioning, according to informed sources, is intriguing because Kayihura was arrested after the killing of Abiriga – a murder seen as intended to ruin the ruling party and Museveni politically. If Kayihura is involved, his crime would amount to political subversion or treason.

Instead, Kayihura stands accused of murdering his assistant, AIGP Kaweesi – in order, allegedly, to protect his job. The two would appear unrelated.

To make the murder case against Kayihura, his interrogators alleged that following Kaweesi’smurder on March 17, 2017, Kayihura’s aide, Jonathan Baroza, was seen scooping soil from the scene of crime. Baroza even had a public altercation with AIGP Fred Yiga over the same that very day.

Now Baroza, who had been dispatched as an attaché in Algeria, has since disappeared. Insiders say Baroza had been expected to return to Uganda but disappeared at an airport in Instabul, Turkey, where he was supposed to connect to Entebbe.

Insiders also suspect that having learnt that all Kayihura’s allies were being rounded up by the army, Baroza decided to go into hiding the same way another Kayihura ally, Amos Ngabirano, the former police director of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) disappeared when trouble started unfolding.

Indeed, the military has since rounded up many of Kayihura’s allies. Some of these include; Richard Ndaboine, the former head of cyber intelligence, Col. NdahuraAtwooki, the former head of crime intelligence, and Herbert Muhangi, the former head of Flying Squad, among others.

These joined seven others who were arrested by CMI last year and charged before the General Court Martial (GCM) in Makindye, Kampala.

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; BenonAtwebembeire, Sgt Abel Tumukunde, the Kampala Metropolitan Police flying squad commander, Faisal Katende, flying squad and AmonKwarisima.

They were accused of unlawful possession of firearms and grenades- ordinarily a monopoly of the Defence Forces.

They are also accused of handing to the Rwanda government two prominent persons; one Lt. Joel Mutabazi; a former presidential guard for Rwandan President Paul Kagame who had sought refuge in Uganda, and Jackson Kalemera.  The two were reportedly handed to Rwanda without their consent.