A tall, burly and averagely sized man used to sit on the road side in Mbarara Town near a popular discotheque Vision Empire.
He had a stall where he washed, repaired and polished shoes.
He was a popular shoe-shiner and cobbler of distinction.
Nickson Agasiirwe Kyaruhanga, a semi-illiterate citizen probably never had hopes of becoming an ‘influential citizen of this country’.
Going about his shoes duties and earning his decent money from that trade was all that mattered in his humble life.
As always Nickson (before taking new identity as Nixon) would reap big in the rainy season.
As always Nickson (before taking new identity as Nixon) would reap big in the rainy season.
That is when hordes of his customers would throng his stall to have their wet, muddy and tattered shoes worked on.
“His whole business wouldn’t amount to shs 100,000 of those days,” said a former vendor who worked next to Nickson’s stall.
“His whole business wouldn’t amount to shs 100,000 of those days,” said a former vendor who worked next to Nickson’s stall.
Nickson was a survivor, like many people on that street that earned a living from menial jobs,” adds John (not real names) who was a student of Ntare School then.
Nickson’s business however, was not expanding nor collapsing but his status changed.
“He was living larger than life. We always doubted who gave him the kind of lifestyle he lived,” recounts John.
Deadly Criminal
It turned out that Nickson was using the shoe-shinner job as an address to establish contacts and criminal deals to execute at night.
Nickson was a dangerous thug leading a clique of robbers that terrorised Mbarara Town.
Nickson was a dangerous thug leading a clique of robbers that terrorised Mbarara Town.
“He had cells in Katete, Byafula, Kakoba, Kijungu and Koranorya.” Said Annet a resident of Kakooba
He would later expand his arm of criminality to neighbouring districts and became a highway robber while collaborating with “dirty” cops from whom he hired guns to execute his missions.
Fortune knocks
Because he knew almost all dreaded criminals in western Uganda, IGP Kale Kayihura was briefed about Nickson and his he would be helpful in providing vital information and intelligence to the police who were hell bent on ending the violent crimes that had plagued most of Western Uganda, especially in Bushenyi and Mbarara.
Kayihura sent his men who approached Nickson and offered him a deal or alternatively he faces jail because there was enough evidence incriminating him.
He accepted the deal and agreed to be a mole to spy on his colleagues.
Because he knew almost all dreaded criminals in western Uganda, IGP Kale Kayihura was briefed about Nickson and his he would be helpful in providing vital information and intelligence to the police who were hell bent on ending the violent crimes that had plagued most of Western Uganda, especially in Bushenyi and Mbarara.
Kayihura sent his men who approached Nickson and offered him a deal or alternatively he faces jail because there was enough evidence incriminating him.
He accepted the deal and agreed to be a mole to spy on his colleagues.
“He did miracles as an informer and was so helpful as Kayihura arrested many criminals after Nickson had exposed them”. Said a former cop who worked with him
Expensive asset
Maintaining Nickson as an informer started becoming too difficult for Kayihura as the former was asking for a lot of money to provide information.
This was his first push to keep his lifestyle up there.
“There wasn’t any option but to recruit him into the force.”
“There wasn’t any option but to recruit him into the force.”
Unlike other ‘ordinary people’ who undergo training to join the Police Force, Nickson was given basic training as Cadet and enrolled into the Force.
He would later change his identity to Nixon, from his previously known Nickson.
He started heading special operations and other sensitive assignments for General Kale Kayihura who would contact and engage him directly from time to time.
Kayihura was impressed with the way he went about exposing criminals.
Kayihura was impressed with the way he went about exposing criminals.
This website understands that Kayihura took Nixon to the Commander-in-Chief General Yoweri Kaguta Museveni.
Since then, Nixon has been “the law and law was him” until last week when his wings were clipped as he appeared before the Court Martial in Makindye where he is being charged with crimes including kidnap, espionage, abetting crime and other dangerous activities leaving the Police Force’s name in a dirty smack.
(In our next episode, read why Kale Kayihura stuck with Nixon even with his dirty past)
Since then, Nixon has been “the law and law was him” until last week when his wings were clipped as he appeared before the Court Martial in Makindye where he is being charged with crimes including kidnap, espionage, abetting crime and other dangerous activities leaving the Police Force’s name in a dirty smack.
(In our next episode, read why Kale Kayihura stuck with Nixon even with his dirty past)