UGANDA: REMOVAL OF BRIG JEFF MUKASA FROM JATT IS A MERE CHANGE OF GUARDS

 

By CHANGE OF GUARDS

In a move to dupe gullible Ugandans, Uganda's Military Dictator has, as usual relocated, Brig. Jeff MUKASA from heading the notorious JATT.  It was founded in 1999 in the wake of the global terrorism threat under the overall supervision of CMI.  It was comprised of officers from CMI, ISO, ESO and Police.  It attracted a lot of funding, technical and logistical aid from the USA. JATT's first head was then Col. John Mugyenyi who hit a jackpot from auditing smuggling and drug trafficking through Entebbe Airport.  He went on to become one of the richest Ugandans and a top regime cadre.  Soon, it assumed the role of a tool for repression of internal political dissent.  Around late 2001, Mugyenyi was replaced by an equally money thirsty Kayanja Muhanga (brother to Andrew Mwenda) whose tenure lasted only one year.  He was relocated in 2002 amidst public outcry of arbitrary arrests, torture and extortion that climaxed into the dead bodies of victims who were discovered dumped around the Golf Course in Kololo.  

Kayanja Muhanga was replaced by the ruthless murderer, Capt. Joseph Kamusiime whose four years tenure (2002 - 2006) proved to be the worst with regard to gross human rights abuses.  It was until when some victims miraculously escaped from its Safe Houses and fled to the adjacent residence of the Danish Ambassador's residence that he was relocated. With the help of the Presidential Guard, he had sent soldiers to re-arrest the victims from the Ambassador's residence.  He was replaced by Dominic Twesigomwe under whose short-lived tenure some slight normalcy was registered.  However, for sinister motives when Leo Kyanda took over as CMI, he brought back Capt. Kamusiime to head JATT.  No wonder in 2008 they were both relocated following the ivory smuggling scandal involving a Senegalese dealer who had been illegally detained at a Safe House in Muyenga.  

Capt. Kamusiime was replaced by Christopher Sserunjogi Damulira (the current Director of Police Crime Intelligence).  Damulira was later replaced by the discreet, Banson Mande.  Years later, it was elevated to a semi-autonomous entity dubbed National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) with JATT under it.  In August 2020, Museveni appointed  Brig. C. K. Asiimwe as the Commandant of the NCTC and Brig. Jeff Mukasa took up the position of Director JATT.  Jeff Mukasa, from Mbarara, is one of those Banyankole with Kiganda names just like Col. Edith Nakalema from Kashari, Brig. Joseph Balikudembe from Bunyaruguru, Gordon Wavamuno and a couple of others. Having been commissioned around late 1980s after attending the Cadet Officer's course at Jinja, he served under the military training department.  In August 2016, he headed the nationwide recruitment exercise that was marred by gross irregularities.  

In September 2016, he was arrested for having facilitated the mega scandal involving a Polish armed dealer who was fleeced of his Euro 12m in a fake arms deal.  Then Col. Jeff Mukasa, having been In charge of security at the army headquarters, played the role of facilitating the meeting with the victim to take place at the facility's boardroom.  Since that scandal involved the Chief of Staff of the Land Forces, then Brig. Leo Kyanda and a one Capt. Muhoozi  who was an Aide to Gen. Saleh, the matter was swept under the carpet.  Kyanda was promoted to General while Jeff Mukasa was promoted to Brigadier and put in charge of JATT.  You will note that such high level scandals are not for every Tom, Dick and Harry but for a few highly protected individuals with close links to the power.  Currently, a one Lt. Enoch Katwesigye from the SFC is being protected after he fleeced an American citizen of USD  3.8M in a fake gold deal.  The victim, Chad Alteiri was lured from the USA and sold the said amount of gold but only to be ambushed and robbed of the same as he headed for the airport to fly out of the country.  It is reported that Lt. Katwesigye was backed by two powerful army Generals.  If the victim was not a citizen of USA, he would have been framed with accusations of terrorism.  Like it has always been the case, the matter will soon be swept under the carpet.  The source of the said amount of gold can only be established by Parliament which is currently scrutinizing the dominance of the so-called Mineral Protection Unit by people from Museveni's backyard. 

The face of JATT's leadership has always been changing just to dupe Ugandans but its actions have remained intact.  Political repression through summary executions, extrajudicial killings, extortions, detention without trial, torture and illegal detention in Safe Houses.  Now that Museveni has formally declared that political opposition amounts to terrorism, JATT has been handed a blank cheque.  Therefore, the relocation of Brig. Jeff Mukasa is a mere change of Guards. Moreover, he has now taken charge of training Military Intelligence personnel who are the vital source of JATT'S human resources.  His replacement, Brig. Dominic Twesigomwe is the most senior of the original Military Intelligence personnel that are still under CMI but he can't change much in the circumstances.  

INFORMATION IS POWER AND THE PROBLEM OF UGANDA IS MUSEVENISM