Opposition leader, Dr Kizza Besigye has downplayed the possibility that the shake up in the security apparatus which saw Police chief, Gen Kale Kayihura replaced will bring about desirable results.
Besigye said that the new IGP, Okoth Ochola and his deputy, Brig Sabiiti Muzeei will not cause any significant change in the Police as they are all part of a stystem that serves to protect President Yoweri Museveni’s regime.
Since President Museveni’s unprecedented replacement of Kayihura, several ordinary Ugandans have come out to express optimism that there will be an improvement in the way Police executes its mandate.
But Besigye says professionalizing the security agencies in Uganda can never be achieved since President Yoweri Museveni uses them to entrench himself in power and can only work with those loyal to his agenda.
“The Police is not going to change. It is not who is in charge but the system he is part of, which only aims at protecting the regime,” Besigye told the press at a news conference on Tuesday.
“In fact am only worried that the new appointees could get more viscious than Kayihura. People like Ochola [new IGP] who lacks confidence because he knows he isn’t in the inner circle, will try to prove himself and will end up going overboard,” Besigye said.
While he admits that there are people in the security who are professional who endeavor to abide by the rules, he says these are not the people that Museveni who wants to stay in power is interested in.
The former FDC President blamed President Museveni for failing to groom competent police officers to manage Police in his three decade rule, and instead resorted to hand picking military officers whose training does not fit the civilian institution that Police ought to be.
“The military is a fighting force but the skill set of the Police is different because it is a civilian Force. But that’s not what Museveni wants. The idea of bringing military officers is based on seeking personal loyalty and that’s what Sabiiti will do”.
He said that while apportioning blame on the ousted IGP Kayihura, people must put their condemnation in the context of the system he served in. He however added that; “I blame him for not refusing. People should have the decency to say ‘No, I can not do this, and I want to resign'”.