UGANDA: Museveni's security goons' bloody clash over 'fighting crime'

_{BEHIND MUSEVENI'S SECURITY GOONS' BLOODY CLASH OVER ‘FIGHTING CRIME'}

_{CHANGE OF GUARDS - Rising violent crime in Museveni's Uganda proving to be a luxurious business for both the regime, its different ragtag security outfits and individual security goons.  While crime is a security issue and therefore tackling it is a mandate of all security agencies, the methods applied is a worry for Ugandans.}

_{Interestingly crime in Museveni's Uganda tends to rise during the budget process, when there is an urgent need for the regime to secure a supplementary budget for the so-called classified expenditure and when opposition activism registers some level of vigilance.  Whereas under a normal situation, a civilian intelligence agency like ISO is mandated to operate covertly and stop at only gathering intelligence, its the police that is mandated to investigate, arrest, search, detain and testy in court.  Instead ISO is now a fully-fledged law enforcement agency with mandate to overtly investigate crime, arrest suspects, detain in Safe Houses, in some cases allow relatives to visit victims in safe houses and even release on bond.  In the same regard, CMI which is supposed to confine itself to military intelligence s proving to be the lead law enforcement agency.}

_{Because of the huge budget that goes with crime, the regime uses the same to buy loyalty from the top security managers who manage the budget.  Consequently, instead of coordinating, the different security outfits end up competing for Museveni's attention and undermining each other in order to take control of the lion's share of the budget.  As a consequence, there is a surge in violent crime and Ugandans suspect that some incidents of crime are just stage managed.  On the other hand, Museveni enjoys the bickering of his security agencies for fear that harmonious working relationship by his security outfits is detrimental to his dictatorial life presidency scheme.  As the top echelons directly benefit from inflated security threat and the attendant resources, the lower and middle cadres and other spectators in one way or the other also seek to live off abetting of crime.}

_{Just look at the following sample of incidents:}

_{Around May 2018 five police officers from Katwe Police station clashed with ISO soldiers at the latter's tightly guarded notorious Kyengera Safe House (pictured).  One police officer was shot dead while the other four were taken hostage.  Police issued a statement to the effect that its five officers had been on lawful duty wile looking for defilement suspect.  After intimidation by ISO, police shortly after issued another statement that the five had gone to rob and that the four survivors were to face robbery charges.  That was the end of the story.}

_{On June 11, 2019 the police released a statement to the public about how it had raided a rented apartment for one Stanley Mulunda a resident of Kinonya, in Kampala whom the police suspected to be armed robber.   That there was an exchange of bullets with the Police and in the process, one police officer was injured in the leg.  One of the suspects later identified as Richard Kasirye managed to escape but the wanted robbery suspect Mulunda arrested together with Sgt Kalule and AIP Igga.}

_{That on searching the house, a number of items including a number plate, 32 live ammunitions, two empty magazines, a pistol, two AK47 rifles, court documents and a hammer were recovered.}

_{A Toyota Noah registration number UAX 343Q suspected to belong to the gang was also impounded from the scene.  Preliminary investigations revealed that AIP Geoffrey Yiga and Sgt.Muhammad Kalule were attached to Gen.  Elly Kayanja for "Special Operations."}

_{Amidst public outrage, the Army was very swift in saving its image and through its Spokesperson said the story had been quoted wrongly by the media adding that the two have since been released.}

      _{"It is a long story which no media house has got correctly. The soldier and police officer working with Maj.Gen. Elly Kayanja were perusing a different case already registered with police,” Brig. Karemire told the Nile Post.}

_{"They just happened to be in the same system where another operation was taking place. They have since been released.  If it was true, we would not deny" he added.}

_{Shortly after, on June 15th the Police issued another statement exonerating Sgt Muhammad Kalule and AIP Igga.  The statement went further to state that the two security officers had at the time been in the same area while looking for anther suspect who had had obtained 52M shillings by false pretence.  Stanley Mulunda remained in police custody over a previous armed robbery.}

_{The major questions here are:}

_{Why and who shot the police officer who was in duty?}

_{Since when did security officers pursue recovery of debts in criminal matters?} 

_{Which security outfits does Gen.  Kayanja run?}

_{The answer is simple; these were armed robbers, but the regime moved very fast to save its face.  It couldn't stomach the embarrassment of a General being involved in armed robbery.  It went a head to further dupe Ugandans Gen.  by assigning him to be guest of honor at a private function recently while clad in full army uniform.  Once the dust has settled down, he will be squeezed because he is not one of those ‘who have a licence to rob.'}

_{What about the most recent bizarre incident concerning the ongoing BOU saga where the police told a press conference that it was making headways towards establishing the whereabouts of the extra printed cash that had been smuggled into Uganda.}

_{He said;}

        _{“…the searches were done in the homes of the officials and a number of documents were recovered. With time, we shall get how much money was involved, how much [money] has been recovered, what was genuine [currency], what was unofficial, but genuine money."}

_{Shortly after, the panicky regime delegated its chief propagandist, Opondo who called a press conference and insisted that police was not investigating the printing of unauthorized excess currency notes but, rather, the unauthorized pallets found on the cargo plane belonging to 13 private individuals.}

       _{"It is wrong for Enanga to tell the public that extra money was smuggled in,” Opondo told journalists.}

_{He further added that they have already engaged the Inspector General of Police, Martin Okoth Ochola and urged him to withdraw Enanga’s statement with immediate effect.}

_{Here below are a few more similar incidents;}

_{1. In February 2009 a one Robert Kigundu was murdered around Kololo in Kampala and his body burnt to ashes before robbing his car. Later the number plate of his robbed car was used on another car driven by Lt. Adubango of CMI.  When the police intercepted the CMI vehicle and arrested the Lt, he revealed that the vehicle belonged to his unnamed 'boss' at CMI. The family of the deceased was subjected to silence by CMI and the matter was swept under the carpet at very high levels by Gen. James Mugira who was the CMI at the time.  ( observer.ug/CMI in murder, robbery scandal).}

_{2. Around February 2016, owing to the fear of politically motivated violence, security forces carried out a security swoop in Kampala where 13 police and army officers were netted on charges of being behind rampant murders and armed robberies in the city. The suspects revealed that they were working for top police and army officers to whom they would deliver the loot. The top commanders gave them extra guns, information, assurance of protection and 20% of the loot.  One of the suspects, Corporal Tito revealed that he had made about 300M shillings for his boss and 80M for himself and that he had managed to construct a house, acquire and own a car and three motorcycles. The identity of the said 'bosses' remains a mystery and the matter will be swept under the carpet.}

_{3. In the same month of February 2015, for the same political considerations, security agencies arrested their own officers over allegations of armed robberies. A Capt. under CMI who was in-charge of the phone tracking unit would monitor the conversation, movements, and exact locations of the targeted wealthy people using CMI's phone tracking system and give the information to the armed robbers on the ground for effective targeting. In the same operation, Maj. Mushabe was found with two illegal guns at his home in Mbarara. A one Lt. Kàranzi was also arrested but as is the usual practice, the matter will be swept under the carpet once it is established that their actions were not politically motivated.}

_{4.  Around the same time, army officers under Brig. Ramadhan Kyamulesire used his official car to attack the residence of a city businessman from whom they robbed 5M shillings at gunpoint.  The matter was swept under the carpet as long as Brig. Kyamulesire's political clarity is not doubtable.}

_{Therefore, it is the scramble for state resources on one hand and the great need not only to cover-up crime but to fan it by Museveni's security that accounts for the surge in violent crime.}

_{INFORMATION IS POWER AND THE PROBLEM OF UGANDA IS MUAEVENISM}