Museveni’s eye on intelligence

During that round of promotions, other historicals like Matayo Kyaligonza also retired and Julius Chihandae also retired, were promoted to Major General and Brigadier respectively.

The three have now replaced Balya, Masolo and Bakahumura. Balya, who also replaced Dr. Amos Mukumbi in 2006, is among the founders of ISO, having headed intelligence in Mbarara during the bush days until about 1990.

Masolo, on the other hand, had headed ESO since 2007 and Bakahumura headed CMI since 2012 when he was appointed replacing Brig James Mugira, who was transferred to head the Luwero ammunition industries based in Nakasongola.

But all these heads of these intelligence bodies have faced the same problem, which insiders say, is at the heart of why Museveni has been moving them and some insiders say if it is not addressed, the main intelligence bodies, might remain shadows of what they used to be.

Museveni has blamed intelligence bodies for failing to unmask embezzlement in the army, lapses in security and failing to nip in the bud activities of wrong elements like terrorists, among others.

For instance, Balya’s then-boss, Dr. Makumbi was sacked following an audit of the July 11 terror attacks in Kampala put most of blame on ISO’s failures. Even before the bomb attacks, President Museveni was reportedly furious with ISO for failing to detect the magnitude of the September 2009 riots which resulted from government’s refusal to let Buganda King, Kabaka Mutebi visit Kayunga District.

Insiders say, that an upset President Museveni even temporarily handed over political intelligence information gathering, especially the Buganda docket, to ESO, which appeared on top of things. ISO insiders said poor funding was the problem.

Balya replaced Makumbi and President Museveni is still complaining not against just ISO but ESO and CMI too.

Insiders, who say the agencies’ biggest problem is perennial underfunding, fear that changing their leadership might not address the problem.

But apart from not addressing the funding problem, President Museveni is handing these agencies new roles.

In July last year, for instance, at a cabinet retreat President Museveni directed ISO to spearhead the fight against corruption.

“ISO and Permanent Secretaries and other accounting officers at district level are the ones who should help us fight corruption because they have a countrywide network,” Museveni said.

Yet Balya was already struggling. Lt. Gen. Henry Tumukunde, who reigns supreme amongst the intelligence officers Uganda has had, had just been appointed Security Minister. There were a few months of a honeymoon but insiders say the two men had fallen out by the time Balya was fired.

Apart from this, the same year Balya was handed this assignment, marked the lowest moment in the life of ISO. It is the year, ISO staff went unpaid for several months and lacked operational money.

The Independent reported that for several months intelligence operatives working for the Internal Security Organisation (ISO) did not received salaries and the agency was stuck with no operations’ money, raising concerns in the security establishment.

Officials had expected to get paid in December 2016 but once again, through an internal memo, they were requested to be patient until early this year.

This was not the first time ISO was getting starved. Under the tenure of Frank Tumwebaze as minister for Presidency (where ISO and ESO fall), the Parliamentary Committee on Presidential Affairs heard that intelligence stations across the country lacked operational funds. This, they were informed had been the problem over the previous four years.

Tumwebaze was seeking a supplementary budget for ISO and other agencies to facilitate their operations.

Many wondered how such a critical intelligence body could be starved of funds especially given the lingering security threats like terrorism that Uganda faces.

At their prime, mainstream intelligence bodies like ISO played a critical role in averting security disasters. In the 90s, they nipped in the bud a number of planned attacks including one on the parliament and the American embassy and brought an end to grenade explosions in omnibuses and buses by infiltrating the cells of elements behind these attacks.

Things changed. As of late last year, ISO chiefs were struggling to play a role in the investigation of the Lugogo shooting in which, Mathew Kanyamunyu is suspected to have shot Kenneth Akena, who died the following day as a result of the gunshot wound.

Until the early 2000s, ISO, ESO and CMI were the most revered intelligence gathering bodies. But they are increasingly becoming irrelevant because their budgets continues to be eaten into.