The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Before Kayihura joined the police, it was at the bottom of the security agencies’ chain. The heads of bodies like the army and intelligence bodies like Internal Security Organisation (ISO) and External Security Organisation (ESO) were more influential than the police chief. However, in the over ten years he has headed police, he has turned this around.
The police chief is now more influential than even the army boss. Unlike the army chief, for instance, Kayihura directly controls an ever increasing police budget, directly appoints and transfers officers, and hitech equipment and motorised accessories, including newly acquired police helicopters, at his disposal.
While operations to deal with Besigye are seen as troublesome to many, to Kayihura, behind them is a budget.
For instance, in 2011, when demonstrations were more intense, the police fuel bill hit the Shs20 billion. Over all, Shs150 billion was spent on efforts and machinery related to quelling riots. In the annual budget performance report, it is indicated that the money financed, among others, the handling of 57 cases of public order, 49 cases of incitement to violence, six were election related, and one case was of promoting sectarianism, among others.
Generally, over the years, the police budget has been expanding. In 2008/2009, it was Shs131 billion, Shs167 billion in 2009/10 and Shs231billion in 2010/11 and about Shs500 billion in the last financial year.
The force has been growing too. According to police records, the force was 38,000-strong in 2009. Massive recruitment saw it expand to 43,000 in 2011.
But Kayihura also expanded the footprint of the Uganda Police into new territories like intelligence and counter-terrorism, which have also attracted major funding to the institution.
Salim Saleh’s hand
Kayihura’s handlers say the juicier his job has become and the more influential he has become, the more he has become the target of peers who want his job. They claim some of these are always on the lookout for an opportunity to lobby against him.
One of Kayihura’s known critics in the security establishment is Security Minister, Lt. Gen. Henry Tumukunde.
Tumukunde joined Museveni’s cabinet this year. His appointment is said to have been influenced by the President’s brother, Gen. Caleb Akandwanaho, aka, Salim Saleh, who brought him back into the fold after he had spent an entire decade on the outside following a fallout and charges that resulted from publicly criticizing Museveni.
Some insiders say his appointment was a move to check the powers of Kayihura. Tumukunde and Kayihura fell out badly in the past, but their rivalry appears to have been rekindled last year following a clash in a meeting.
Tumukunde has openly criticized Kayihura over police brutality and also blames him for an incident in which he was shot at as he campaigned for his son Amanya Tumukunde. Amanya was up against Bright Rwamirama’s son, Mwine Mpaka in the contest for western youth MP. Mpaka won the race.
Sources say Tumukunde again recently took issue with the fact that Kayihura appeared to defend police officers who were seen beating up supporters of Kizza Besigye. The police chief had to turn around and direct that the officers are tried in a police court system.
Others point to what also appeared as a clash between Kayihura and the all-powerful Saleh over Christopher Aine, the former head of security of Amama Mbabazi’s team, who is now Saleh’s aide.
Kayihura was pushing to have Aine arrested and tried for humiliating the police during the campaigns but Saleh insisted Aine would not be arrested.
Apparently, Saleh had also received complaints from some that Kayihura had given some of his informers in Kampala too much powers that they were abusing and mistreating people.
One such group is the boda boda association, which calls itself Boda Boda 2010 Association and whose defacto leader is a one Abdallah Kitatta, a Kayihura informer. 2010’s competitors belong to another group called Kampala Boda boda Riders Association.
The two groups are adversaries to each other. For instance, while the 2010 group works well with the KCCA leadership, the other group is opposed to KCCA’s policies.
Early this year, Kampala Boda boda Riders Association leaders had secured a meeting with Saleh. When Kitatta’s group heard about it, they mobilised a group of boda boda riders from 2010 to disrupt the meeting because they had been left out.
Because the effort was led by Kitatta, some in Saleh’s camp felt that the group enjoyed Kayihura’s support, which riled Saleh’s handlers.
Some of Kayihura’s critics say the role played by such informal groups has also tarnished the reputation of the police.
Human rights concern
Police brutality has become a major public concern. In the 2015 Human Rights report launched on July 28, police still topped the list of human rights abusers.
Meddy Kaggwa, the Chairman Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC), also says that most of the complaints on torture, degrading treatment and detention beyond 48 hours without taking one to court are increasing against the police and they topped the list in the just released annual report. He said while compiling the report his team visited 205 police stations and 509 police posts.
“We have been producing these reports for years now but the police have always had the majority of human rights violations reported against it,” Kaggwa said, “The commission can only provide recommendations and therefore we urge Police personnel to use modern techniques when dealing with crowds to avoid use of excess force and torture.”
Kaggwa also said that in their training, police should be guided on the relevant laws they should put in mind when executing their duties.
“Unfortunately some have not seen a copy of the constitution,” he told The Independent, “If we continue like this then police violations are bound to even increase.”
The police’s biggest concern is how a basic crowd control operation had gone out of hand and landed police in a storm of criticism. Its most riveting images are from video recording in which police officers were seen beating up people with sticks that is spreading like wild fire on online social media. It has become the postcard for critics decrying the excessive force deployed by officers in that operation.
