KAMPALA – President Museveni has for the first time publicly criticized jailed former Inspector General of Police Kale Kayihura’s work methods, accusing him of killing morale and professionalism in the force.
The President, before sacking Kayihura as Inspector General of Police in March, had often praised him as a good cadre who helped to quell riots and walk to work demonstrations. Even since Gen. Kayihura was arrested on June 13, Museveni has not made any public comment about what crimes the former police chief committed.
But in a dramatic turnaround on Wednesday June 27, the President used the security meeting with Members of Parliament to launch a blistering attack on Kayihura, whom he said ignored existing police formal systems and worked with some civilians who ended up destroying the image of the Force.
The interactive security meeting between the President and the MPs was closed to journalists and the rest of the public but sources that attended and followed the meeting proceedings said the Head of State said Gen Kayihura was often defending his police officers even when they had broken the law.
“The President said Gen Kayihura worked with Wanainchi to do intelligence and undermining formal police structures,” the source said.
However, the sources said the President did not mention the charges that the former police chief is likely to face.
The President’s remarks will come as a slap in the face and an indication that Gen Kayihura will soon face the Court Martial to answer several charges.
Sacked on March 4, 2018, the former IGP was arrested two weeks ago on June 13, and has since been held at Makindye Military Police barracks where the army said he was being questioned on a number of issues.
Sources said earlier, the investigations team managed to extract confessions from some of the officers who are arrested alongside him, linking the former police chief to some crimes such as illegal extradition of refugees, cooperating with a foreign country, high profile murders and robbery.
Some of those arrested are Boda Boda 2010 patron Abdallah Kitatta, Senior Commissioner of Police Joel Aguma, Senior Superintendent of Police Nickson Agasirwe, Herbert Muhangi, the former police’s Flying Squad Unit commander, former cyber-crime head Richard Ndaboine, and former crime intelligence director Col Ndahura Atwooki.
