KAMPALA – Former Inspector General of Police Gen Kale Kayihura has been acquitted by the General Court Martial of charges of failing to protect war materials, failure to supervise police officers, and abetting kidnap.
Kayihura, who has been on bail since 2020, was on Wednesday acquitted by the Chairman of the Court Martial, Brig Freeman Mugabe, declaring that the former police chief is now a free man.
Speaking to journalists after the ruling, Kayihura thanked the President and the army leadership for acquitting him.
“On behalf of my family and all those who stood with us, I want to appreciate the president and commander in chief of the UPDF. I want to appreciate the court and officers of court who made all this happen. Above all I want to thank God who has sustained and protected me by His grace,” he said.
This comes hours as Gen Kayihura is set to officially retire from the UPDF on Thursday at State House in Entebbe.
Kayihura was on March 4, 2018, sacked from the position of IGP which he had held for over 12 years, and was replaced by his then-deputy Martins Okoth Ochola. In June the same year, he was arrested in an operation spearheaded by then deputy chief of defence forces (CDF) Wilson Mbadi who is now the chief of defence forces.
In his last days as IGP, Kayihura proposed that suspects with capital offences like murder, terrorism, and robbery be held for at least 90 days before being taken to court to enable investigators to gather more than enough evidence for a successful prosecution.
After being arrested by the army he served, Kayihura was detained at military police headquarters at Makindye for 76 days without trial. He was later arraigned in the court martial where he was charged with three counts: The first count was the failure to protect war materials contrary to section 122 (1) (2) of the UPDF Act 2005.
The particulars of this count indicated that between 2010 and 2018, Kayihura allowed the use of arms and ammunition by unauthorized persons including members of militia outfit Boda Boda 2010 headed by Abdallah Kitatta who was jailed before him.
The second count was that Kayihura failed to supervise and ensure accountability for the arms and ammunition issued to specialized units under the office of the IGP including the flying squad, the specialized operations unit, the witness protection unit and the crime intelligence directorate of Uganda Police Force. The third count slapped against Kayihura was aiding and abetting kidnapping from Uganda.
