KAMPALA – Political and religious leaders from Kisoro District have petitioned Prime Minister Ruhakana Rugunda over former Inspector General of Police Gen Kale Kayihura’s continued detention without trial.
The group composed of MPs, local council and religious leaders met Mr Ruganda on Tuesday at his office in Kampala.
After the meeting, the Kisoro District Chairman, Abel Bizimana told journalists that they had registered their displeasure with the Prime minister over what he called “unfair treatment of Gen. Kayihura”.
“Uganda’s Constitution is supreme to military law in Uganda. But the Prime Minister has assured us that General Kale is well and knows why he is in prison,” he said.
Mr Bizimana also said Mr Rugunda had told them that President Museveni is friendly to Gen. Kayihura.
“You can’t be friends and you are incarcerated for 30 days without trial. You can’t be friends and be humiliated that way. But I blame Gen Kayihura because he gave much more to this government than he was supposed to give,” he said.
According to the petition signed by Kisoro Woman MP, Rose Kabagyeni and Mr Bizimana, the Kisoro leaders want President Museveni to prevail over circumstances surrounding the arrest and detention of General Kale Kayihura.
Sacked on March 4, 2018, the former IGP was arrested 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. The army has since declined to reveal the actual charges for which Gen. Kayihura was arrested.
On June 28, Police in Kisoro District for the second time foiled a planned demonstration by youth and local leaders, protesting what they call illegal detention of Gen Kale Kayihura, who hails from the area.
Led by Valence Nfitumukiza, the youth, gathered in Kisoro Town, planning to start their walk. They demanded answers from the government on why Gen Kayihura has been detained for so long without any charges preferred against him.
However, security led by the Resident District Commissioner, Hajj Shafigue Ssekandi, stopped the demonstration. A week earlier, the residents led by the district chairman, Mr Abel Bizimana, planned to stage a demonstration but it was blocked by police.
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.
