"For us we are small people; agents. I work on orders; the Commander-In-Chief's orders. When you are going to war, the Commander-In-Chief gives you instruments of war. He gave me an order .... Do I have a choice? If I don't do this, he dismisses me, and of course I like my job." …. Police chief, Gen. Kalekyezi - in Ntungamo during a ceremony to hand over motorcycles to Crime Preventers - 16/12/2015.
Over a decade ago, Uganda's military dictator seconded a serving army officer to head the police force with the sole mandate of transforming it from a national police force to a coercive arm of the regime. Gen. Kalekyezi has successfully accomplished that assignment by creating a regional based and most brutal police force the country has ever witnessed. He did not only stop at that but went ahead to create various militia groups that have always unleashed violence to helpless citizens. That way, Gen. Kalekyezi grew so strong that he is Museveni's defacto Vice President In-charge of regime security. Museveni allocates Kayihura a lion's share of the national budget and in turn Kayihura has been stage managing insecurity characterized by violent robberies, maiming, kidnappings, torture, arbitrary detentions, commando raiding of courts of law, killings, land and property grabbing, suppression of political dissent, and all such evils.
Towards the February 2016 general elections, Kayihura raised a countywide militia force dubbed Crime Preventers that were afforded crash military drills before being unleashed on the population. He mobilized and empowered another group dubbed Boda Boda 2010 that took charge of insecurity in Kampala. Boda Boda 2010 was born during the 2011 general elections to sway the vote of commercial motorcycle riders in Kampala from the opposition to Museveni. In July 2016 together with the police, these goons publicly attacked and beat up opposition supporters. Consequently, some Lawyers including the Lord Mayor of Kampala instituted private criminal proceedings against the IGP and seven of his senior police officers. Instead Gen. Kalekyezi sent the same goons to attack the Chief Magistrate's Court, sieging court premises and threatening to lynch all the officers of court.
The Police Spokesperson, Polly Namaye issued a statement to the effect that the police force "appreciated the demonstrators for complying with the Public Order Management Act by notifying the police of their actions". Addressing a local government forum in Mbarara in August 2016, Museveni told his audience; " People have been attacking Kale (Gen. Kalekyezi), Kale has done a good job; he stopped fujo (disturbances); because people wanted to bring Fujo to disrupt business".
In an interview with the regime owned The New Vision in August 2016, the leader of the militant Boda Boda 2010, Abdul Kitata stated thus; “I am his (Gen. Kalekyezi) friend and I can't stand anyone who dares to get in his way. I have the capacity to save the IGP and the entire police force from any enemy. So, anyone who thinks they can destabilize the country should think twice because we have the capacity to liquidate him. I have been playing politics within security to save this country and that is why protests or defiance campaigns have failed in Kampala. I have the president's ear. I call Museveni direct anytime. I don't need to pass through anyone. I tell him what I believe is true whether it pleases him or not. And he likes me for that. I also have Gen. Kayihura's ear. By the way President Museveni invited me to State House to address his cabinet. That shows I have reached a certain level."
In September 2016, while presiding over the pass out of Police Cadet Officers at Masindi, Gen. Kalekyezi thanked Museveni for “supporting the police when I came under public criticism" for allegedly brutalizing opposition supporters. In October 2017 at a public function in Kisoro, Museveni described Gen. Kalekyezi as ".... a good and hardworking NRM (regime party) cadre and in turn the 'good cadre' renewed his commitment to support Museveni thus; " I will work not to disappoint you in the remaining time of my life."
In October 2017 the Boda Boda 2010 goons publicly attacked a bus load of teenage school children and their teachers, beat them up together with the police officers who attempted to intervene. The Police Spokesman, Asan Kasingye stated that "Boda Boda 2010 don't work under the IGP. I don't know who they are because they are not under the police. You may need to crosscheck with Kampala City Council Authority (KCCA). Gen. Kalekyezi told his audience that "Boda Boda 2010 helped the police especially during demonstrations and protests in the city from opposition politicians. Those who want the group disbanded are the enemies of peace in the city".
In December 2017 Gen. Kalekyezi ordered the Traffic Police officers off the streets of Kampala city, prompting a terrible traffic jam. Shortly after, during a public function at Kulambiro in Kampala, the same IGP arrogantly disclosed thus; " I am the one who ordered that since they (traffic officers) have been sacrificing a lot and they are criticized they should leave them. You saw the chaos. I instructed them to go back and work." He also went ahead to disclose that the militant Boda Boda 2010 was a supplement to security agencies thus; “they helped security agencies to stop riots in Kampala but after things turned in government's favor, some people want to drive them out of work. He said; " Some people who are making noise about them are seeing that things have cooled down and they have eaten to satiety; so, they want to burn the granary."
A Rwandese Tutsi immigrant, Gen. Kalekyezi has strong links with the Tutsi regime in Rwanda. His father was deported by the colonial government in the late 1950s for stealing guns for 'terrorist' activities before being excommunicated by the Catholic Church. With Museveni's blessing, a section of top security managers in Uganda are bent on supporting Rwandese dissidents opposed to the Kagame regime. Gen. Kalekyezi has been directly facilitating the kidnapping and forceful return of Rwandese refugees and shooting dead of some Rwandese dissidents in Uganda. Gen. Kalekyezi has used his position to build a nationwide intelligence network that not only collects information on political opposition in Uganda but on activities of Rwandese dissidents. He systematically serves two masters i.e. Museveni and Kagame.
In Uganda, Kayihura is responsible for the regime's survival more especially as regards the February 2016 election rigging and subsequent suppression of opposition activism. Museveni's attention was drawn by allegations of Gen. Kalekyezi being groomed by Rwanda to eye the presidency of Uganda. Consequently, late last year Museveni sanctioned a crackdown on senior police officers who are alleged to have been involved in kidnapping of Rwandese refugees. In revenge, Gen. Kalekyezi also used his position to intercept a group of 45 Rwandese dissidents who had been recruited and facilitated to travel to Congo. They are facing charges of terrorism though it’s not clear whether the said terror activities were against Uganda or Rwanda!!
Just last weekend Museveni again sanctioned another military crackdown of the top leadership of Gen. Kalekyezi's notorious Boda Boda 2010. Their leader Abdul Kitata and 29 of his top executives and aides have been arrested by the military. They are accused of the murder of an Accountant before robbing his car, 15m shillings, and burning his dead body beyond recognition. From their offices and residences, dangerous items including suspected cars and motorcycles, used Number plates, implements used in maiming victims and breaking into offices were recovered. An attempt to violently protest the crackdown was suppressed by the army. The crackdown continues and unfortunately gullible Ugandans are jubilating in a false anticipation of improvement in security and respect for human rights.
Museveni has yielded to the pressure from Gen. Kalekyezi's political and military rivals led by the equally powerful and dangerous Security Minister, Gen. Tumukunde and his close Aide, Col. Abel Kandiho, the CMI. They must have persistently presented intelligence reports that point to Gen. Kalekyezi's Rwanda-linked political ambitions. However, the unconvinced Museveni has been and continues to brush off such reports but at the same time, typical of him, he does not want to take chances but also not to disappoint Gen. Kalekyezi's rivals.
In the same regard, mindful of the demoralizing effect on his oppressive machinery put in place by the General, Museveni may not yield to pressure to relieve Gen. Kalekyezi of his position. He faces threats paused by deteriorating relations with Rwanda against that of potential opposition protests. To a greater extent Museveni is convinced that the threat of opposition led protests is simply imaginary.
From the foregoing, gullible Ugandans ought to know that whatever Gen. Kalekyezi does, he has the full blessing of Museveni and even if Museveni relieved Kayihura of his position, it would be simply a change of guards. It is a situation of jumping from the frying pan to the fire.
Therefore, Museveni is caught between the rock and the hard place.
INFORMATION IS POWER AND DEFIANTLY "HITTING ON THE HEAD" IS THE WAY TO GO
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