KAMPALA – The chairman of the General Court Martial, Lt. Gen. Andrew Gutti has asked the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) for clarify whether the charges against Gen. Kale Kayihura should be dropped in line with President Museveni’s pledge.
While campaigning in Kisoro District ahead of the elections, the President promised to engage the army prosecutors to drop charges against the former Inspector General of Police. This was Kisoro leaders requested the President to have ‘their son’ pardoned midway through his trial in the Army General Court Martial. Gen Kayihura hails from Kisoro.
And in a letter dated February 2, 2021, Gen Gutti said he had been approached by a group of youth who inquired about Mr Museveni’s promise.
“… The above subject matter refers. Attached herein is a list of the group’s leadership as per our voice conversation yesterday. The youth approached me seeking progress on His Excellency’s promise on General Kale Kayihura case before this court while he was conducting his presidential campaign in Kisoro district,” the letter reads in part.
While the CDF, General David Muhoozi, received the letter, there has not been an immediate response to it.
According to Gutti, he was approached by leaders of Kisoro Development Network which comprises of 850 youths led by Michael Ndiyonsaba and nine others.
Having been sacked in April 2018, Kayihura was arrested by the army on June 13 the same year and charged in the army General Court Martial two months later. He was charged with offences of failing to protect war materials by issuing firearms to unauthorised persons; aiding and abetting kidnapping, repatriation of Rwandan exiles and refugees and Ugandan citizens to Rwanda between 2012 and 2016. He denied the charges.
A week after being charged, Gen Kayihura was granted bail by the army court which handed him stringent conditions. He is not supposed to move beyond Kampala and Wakiso Districts without permission from the army court or the military leadership. He was also banned from travelling abroad except with permission from the army court or military leadership.
Because of the unclear fate of Gen Kayihura, some leaders of Kisoro did not attend the President’s campaign meeting in Kabale on December 12. Mr Bizimana was among those who did not travel to Kabale for the meeting. He insisted the President must meet Kisoro NRM leaders and flag bearers alone since “we have unique issues that we can’t discuss while in Kabale”.
The National Unity Platform (NUP) presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi alias Bobi Wine while campaigning in Kisoro last month castigated President Museveni for arresting Gen Kayihura, saying the latter made most of his mistakes on his Museveni’s. Mr Kyagulanyi promised to set free Gen Kayihura if elected President.
