Long serving Inspector General of Police, Gen Kale Kayihura and Security Minister, Lt Gen Henry Tumukunde have Sunday evening been dropped and replaced by Okoth Ochola and Gen Elly Tumwine respectively.
The reshuffle was announced in a tweet by President Yoweri Museveni and the duo have been replaced henceforth.
“In the exercise of the powers vested in the President by Articles 113 (1) and 213 (2) of the Constitution of the Republic of Uganda, I hereby appoint General Elly Tumwiine as Minister for Security, Mr. Okoth Ochola as the Inspector-General of Police and Brigadier Sabiiti Muzeei as the Deputy Inspector General of Police,” read President Museveni’s statement.
Kayihura, 62, had served as IGP since 2005 and is the longest serving Police chief in the country’s history.
His administration has been characterized by controversies especially in regard to quashing those deemed as President Museveni’s opponents. After the 2016 elections, Kayihura was key in implementing the Public Order Management l Act, which saw many opposition figures stopped from holding political rallies in the city.
Until their dropping, the two military officers at the top of security in the country had for long been bickering, which many say are responsible for the deteriorating security situation in the country.
Kayihura’s tenure has recently come to be marred by his close ties with the Rwandan government which resulted into illegal repatriation of Rwandan refugees as well as the alleged workings with criminal gangs to aid crime.
President Museveni recently warned officers against bickering as well as those that use security agencies to serve their own interests.
“Security organs are supposed to serve the interests of Ugandans, not any individual. It’s going to be sorted out,” Museveni said.
“The infighting is between individuals, but not the security organs. It’s a big [problem] which will be sorted out. You have seen that some of them have gone to Luzira and many of them will see themselves in prison if they don’t reform. It’s going to be resolved,” the President remarked.
Museveni stated that officers who use security agencies to serve their own interests would be dealt with and isolated in prison.
“Security organs are supposed to serve the interests of Ugandans, not any individual. It’s going to be sorted out,” Museveni said.
His statement comes at a time when several Senior police officers have been implicated in criminal activities including working with Rwanda to iilagelly repatriate refugees while some known criminal gangs have confessed publicly to be working with the police.
Members of the rogue Boda Boda 2010, a group which the Police boss Gen Kale Kayihura said has been helping the police solve crime, are currently detained for possession of military arms while some face murder charges.
But the crackdown on the rogue groups and some police officers had created a rift between police and the other security agencies that have been leading the operations.
This had further worsened the already simmering relationship between Kayihura and Security Minister, Lt Gen Henry Tumukunde as all military operations against criminality within the police force are attributed to the retired him (Tumukunde).
“The infighting is between individuals, but not the security organs. It’s a big [problem] which will be sorted out. You have seen that some of them have gone to Luzira and many of them will see themselves in prison if they don’t reform. It’s going to be resolved,” the President said.