By our reporter
A few days after Gen Kale Kayihura was arrested, his counterpart in Algeria too was sacked, and consequently put under house arrest.
Algeria’s president ordered the arrest of his country’s chief of police over allegations that he was dealing in narcotics with a number of countries, including one suspected to be Uganda.
Watchdog Uganda website understands that Gen Abdelghani Hamel was sacked a week after Gen Kayihura arrest. His detention was ordered by Algeria’s 81-year old head of state Abdelaziz Bouteflika.
In Algeria, reports indicate that Gen Hamel was sacked over dealing in cocaine, after his driver was linked to a large consignment from Brazil. However reports in Algiers show that the general was also linked with illegal drugs from a sub Saharan country suspected to be Uganda.
Gen Kayihura and Gen Hamel were close friends and exchanged visits often.
Coincidentally, Gen Hamel fell out of favour with his boss, and was on June 26, 2018, about 10 days after Gen Kayihura’s arrest from Kashagama in Lyantonde district.
Rumour is rife in Algiers that the Algerian police boss, a military man like Kayihura himself, was dealing in illegalities which complicated Algeria’s relations with other countries, including supplying unathorised equipment.
In the aftermath of Gen Kayihura arrest, it was reported that after a search on his home in Muyenga,a Kampala suburb, equipment he was not cleared to possess was found in his possession.
Gen Hamel was a very close associate of Gen Kayihura, and the two were instrumental in the creation of Afripol, a continental policing body, which was headed by Gen Hamel and deputized by Gen Kale. The headquarters was set up in Algiers, Algeria’s capital.
It is at this office that Gen Kayihura seconded his blue-eyed boy Jonathan Baroza, his former assistant. Baroza is one of the wanted police officers, and his bosses have given him a last warning to appear in Kampala or be declared a fugitive.
Last week, there are speculations over the hide out of Baroza, him telling one website that he was seeking asylum in Sweden, while other bloggers say he was hiding in Rwanda. This website is studying Baroza’s trail, and will soon reveal where he is actually hiding. For now, we can authoritatively say, Baroza is lying as he is not in Sweden. And certainly he is not in Rwanda.
Baroza refused to honour the invitation of his bosses back to Kampala following the arrest of his boss on June 14 from his country home in Kashagama in Lyantonde district. No charges have been preferred against Gen Kale, but remains in detention at Makindye Military Barracks.
Operatives descended on his home in Muyenga and reportedly discovered communication gadgets which he is not authorized to have.
And Kayihura’s friend in Algeria was sacked, many analysts have linked him to efforts to a number of crimes including destabilizing an unnamed sub Saharan country (other sources report it is Uganda), by supplying them with authorized equipment as well as dealing in illicit drugs with the country.
However, no official reason was given for the sacking of the 62-year old who now is under house arrest.
A new IGP was named, Mustapha El Habiri, a former army colonel.
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