On Friday some people were extremely happy when the United States Government slapped travel and economic sanctions against the former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Gen Kale Edward Kayihura and his immediate family members.
In a document Gen Kayihura, is accused of gross violations of human rights under Section 7031(c) of the FY 2019 Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, according to US Departments of Treasury and State.
Kayihura was in charge of Uganda Police Force from 2005 to 2018 and in the period of 13 years, he created a lot of enemies as well as friends.
At one time, Kayihura was seen as powerful that he was looked on as Uganda’s number 2. Now, it is feared Kayihura might have actually harbored presidential ambitions, a move which might have sparked the fall out with his boss, Gen Yoweri Museveni.
In the aftermath of US travel and economic sanctions, Kayihura says there are people he didn’t name who want him “dead”. Well, we are not sure who wants the serving updf general and we condemn such extra judicial actions. However, there are people who don’t wish Kayihura to ever rise politically and therefore want him politically dead.
Here eight groups of people who would not wish Gen Kale peace in his retirement, for the pain and sorrow his reign caused them.
1. Dr Kizza Besigye, according to the statement delivered by Forum for Democratic Change Spokesman Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda, the first major assignment of Kayihura was to brutally arrest the then President of (FDC) Besigye in November 2006. Besigye was moving from western Uganda in preparation to be nominated for the presidential candidate as Kayihura also ordered for his arrest and his supporters. Besigye would suffer several bruises and antagonism from Kayihura’s men, especially during the walk to work protests. Besigye, is remembered to have warned the then IGP in his signature voice, “Kayihura! Kayihura! Kind of warning him that his time would soon come!
2. Muslim sheikhs, Kayihura’s regime as IGP witnessed the highest death of Muslim leaders and raids at mosques. At one time, Kayihura and Andrew Felix Kaweesi (now late) raided a mosque in Nakasero, and Muslims were forced to pray special prayers for the duo. When the hell of Nalufenya was opened, several Muslims faithful found themselves in the dungeon. Quoting from Imam Idi Kasozi the Imam of Mawanga Mosque(munyonyo) and Vice-Chairman Uganda Muslim Youth Assembly (UMYA) “Kayihura has hated us Muslims more than any leader in Uganda. Many Muslims are in prisons and torture chambers for nothing, every murder that occurs Muslims are accused,” said Imam Kasozi.
In 2016 Eight Muslims who were accused of masterminding the shooting of Muslim clerics in 2015, instructed their lawyers to file a torture case against Kayihura. These include Sheikh Muhammad Yunus Kamoga, the leader of Tabliq sect, Sheikh Siraj Kawooya, Abdulsalam, Abdulhamid Sematimba, Rashid Jingo, Twaha Ssekito, Yusuf Kakande alias Abdallah, and Sheikh Murta Mudde Bukenya.
3. FDC supporters, the torture, arrests and killings, FDC supporters suffered under the leadership of Kayihura is intolerable In July 2016, Police under Kayihura’s orders beat up FDC supporter which made politicians both from government and opposition to vehemently blame Police brutality on opposition supporters. Following this pressure, Kayihura made an immediate reshuffle. But still, he continued with his iron fist through tear-gassing them. According to Ssemujju during the walk to work campaign over 40 FDC supporters died due to police brutality.
4. Parliamentarians who were raided and beaten, during the removal of Presidential age limit. On 27th September 2017, Kayihura played the lead role in the planning of the invasion of Parliament by a joint security team.
One day after that raid while in meeting at Katabi landing site in Entebbe during the launch of Police week, Gen Kayihura admitted that he enlisted the assistance of other security agencies in evicting opposition MPs that had been suspended by Speaker of Parliament earlier.
“I’m the one who planned all this [parliament raid]. Those people you saw in plain clothes were a joint team. I requested sister security agencies to support me. Police did its work professionally and were focused on the work that took them there,” he told journalists. However, Speaker Rebecca Kadaga also condemned his actions.
5. Erias Lukwago and his supporters, Among the opposition politicians that have tasted the venom of Gen Kayihura the Kampala Lord Mayor His worship Erias Lukwago, must be the second after Besigye. After his ascension to Kampala Mayorship, Police under Kayihura’s order and former Kampala Minister Frank Tumweze removed Lukwago from his office. On many occasions, Police blocked him from accessing Kampala. In September 2017 during the age limit campaigns, Lukwago was manhandled by police in a brutal way while at his home outside the gate and was taken to Nagalama Police post. Later Lukwago reported Kayihura in that Human Right Commissions however nothing good came out.
6. People who lost their relatives during 2009 protest when the Kabaka of Buganda Ronald Mutebi II was stopped from visiting Bugerere in Kayunga where over 60 people are believed to have died while many are still rooting in prisons.
7. Gen Tumukunde, although they are both generals in UPDF and bush war cadres, these generals don’t see eye to eye as each sees the other as a roadblock in their political road. When the Tumukunde was the minister of Security there clashes between police and ISO. It is not clear when the rivalry between Tumukunde and Kayihura started, but during 2016 election, it is remembered that Tumukunde was shot by an Anti-Police in Fort Portal as he went to support his son who was contesting for youth MP western. Kayihura didn’t apologise for him which hurt Tumukunde who days later was appointed minister.
8 Victims tortured in Nalufenya, these include Kamwenge District Mayor Geoffrey Byamukama who became the face of those tortured in connection with the murder of AIGP Andrew Felix Kaweesi. Byamukama was burnt with an electric iron box all over his body.
So now, In the aftermath of US travel and economic sanctions, Kayihura says there are people he didn’t name who want him “dead”. Well, we are not sure who wants the serving updf general and we condemn such extra judicial actions. However, there are people who don’t wish Kayihura to ever rise politically and therefore want him politically dead.
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