The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The director of Operations Services in the Police Force, Assistant Inspector General of Police – AIGP Asuman Mugenyi has officially quit the institution he has served for over 32 years.
Uganda Radio Network – URN understands that AIGP Mugenyi served his last day in police uniform on Friday, May 29th and has since handed over to his deputy Senior Commissioner of Police – SCP John Nuwagiira.
Although earlier reports indicated that AIGP Mugenyi had been suspended and others claiming he had been fired, police spokesperson, Fred Enanga, clarified that he had served his contract.
“He simply observed his contract to the end,” said the Police spokesperson. Mugenyi becomes the fifth AIGP to quit the police institution in the last three years.
Two months ago, AIGP, Dr Steven Kasiima, who was director traffic and road safety was forced out of office by Inspector General of Police –IGP Martin Ochola after his contract had expired. Although AIGP Kusiima was shown the exit with four other AIGPs, President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni renewed contracts of the other three but not his.
In November last year, AIGP Godfrey Bangirana, who was director logistics and engineering was forced out of office by the High Court after he had defied Ochola’s directive to quit office when his contract had expired.
Other AIGPs Fred Yiga, who was director Interpol and Elizabeth Muwanga, who was director welfare and production retired in 2018 and 2017 respectively. Yiga and Muwanga quit after waiting for close to two years for their contracts to be renewed, but in vain.
Who is AIGP Mugenyi
Mugenyi has retired at the time when his name was dragged to the International Criminal Court –ICC over the November 27, 2016 military raid on Rwenzururu Kingdom in which more than 120 people were killed and over 150 arrested.
Kasese leaders seconded by human rights defenders dragged Mugenyi to the ICC alongside now commander UPDF Land Forces, Lt Gen Peter Elwelu. The Brigadier, Elwelu commanded the military that destructed Rwenzururu Kingdom palace.
At that time AIGP Mugenyi’s picture holding Rwenzururu King Wesley Mumbere by the waistline went viral as smoke engulfed Kasese town after heavy artillery had been used to bomb the palace. Several bodies of young men killed by heavy military weapons were collected and a number of them were buried unrecognized.
The 2016 operation by Mugenyi was the third in Rwenzori region having been in the same place in 1992, when rebels of Allied Democratic Forces –ADF under the command of now incarcerated, Jamil Mukulu, wreaked havoc in the region.
Mugenyi had earlier served in Rwenzori region as Kabalore District Police Commander when then IGP Apollo Byekwaso, posted him there in 1991.
Mugenyi was also partly blamed for issuing orders to police commanders restricting opposition MPs from consulting their electorates during the controversial removal of 102 (b) that capped presidential age at 75.
He was born at Kabwohe in Bushenyi which is now Sheema District. The retired officer joined after graduating from Makerere University in 1988. Besides serving in Rwenzori region where he had was battling militias, Mugenyi also served in Karamoja at the time when cattle rustling was rampant.
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