The startling Sunday announcement in which the appointing authority relieved Police Chief Gen Kale Kayihura of his duties, replacing him with his deputy Okoth Ochola shook the nation.
In the police establishment, two sections- The old Low Ranked- Young High Ranked- welcomed the news of their boss’ sacking with sadness and also jubilations.
Moments after the President issued the communiqué of the changes where Ochola assumes office with Brig Sabiti Muzeeyi as his deputy, TrumpetNews interviewed a number of cops (senior and junior) and the impression gathered revealed how majority of the officers had generated ‘resentment’ towards Kayihura’s leadership.
One officer, who asked to remain unnamed re-echoed the same usual notion of inequality within the police institution where ‘power’ had been engulfed by a few who continued to be more powerful at the suffering of the majority.
Another different cop interviewed says, they, look on in disbelief as young inexperienced grow more wings but continue to make mistakes in their supervision which dents the image of police.
But Frank Mwesigwa, the Kampala Metropolitan Police (KMP) Commander who falls in the category of Young High Ranked earlier disputed this perception saying the criteria of promotion in police is very clear, adding that some officers who claim to be old but low ranked might be ‘useless.’
The gap between disgruntled and complacent officers in the institution is very believed to be the source of the ‘ghost’ that has lately haunted the long serving IGP until his sacking last Sunday.
“He created the inequality I am happy he is gone and I am still serving,” said another junior officer this website interviewed.
The Powerful 5
In this briefing, we reveal five police officers who are confidants of Gen Kayihura, have amassed wealth through striking deals, executed missions and now are perturbed on how on whether they will relate with the new leadership and continue to be as powerful as they have been previously.
Kayihura to some point created directorates that never xisted before his men and woman.
Kasingye
ACP Susan Kasingye heads AFRIPOL (African Police Force) Liaison Bureau.
The bureau had been created last year the IGP in accordance with the resolutions of the AFRIPOL Steering Committee and its Coordination office in the Directorate on INTERPOL and International Relations.
Susan Kasingye a graduate in an Arts in Peace, Governance and Security Course from the UN University of Peace, has been in the force for not less than 10 years.
She has been rapidly promoted and also heads various departments including olitical and electoral offences.
Col Ndahura
Col Atwooki Ndahura Birakurataki is former commander in the Presidential Protection Unit (PPU), now Special Forces Command (SFC).
He oversees the Directorate of Crime Intelligence (DCI), a ‘parallel’ investigative unit of Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID) headed by AIGP Grace Akullo.
This website understands that after Kayihura fell out with Akullo over several cases, he created DCI to weaken CID.
And indeed CID has become ceremonial with police failing to successfully investigate and dispose off a criminal many criminal cases in recent years.
Bangirana
AIGP Godfrey Bangirana is the director Logistics and Engineering.
He is considered as one of the wealthiest cop in Uganda courtesy of the directorate he supervises.
Currently his office has attracted a debt to a tune of shs 125 billion since 2015 services providers had never been paid.
His former boss Kayihura last week appealed to government to cover this debt.
He is tasked with overseeing police Fleet, fuel, procurement, supply food and more.
His directorate is considered the most corrupt in the police force.
Muhirwe
Rogers Muhirwe acts as the Force’s Undersecretary. Literally he is the accounting officer of Uganda Police a job he has served since 2009.
Some reports suggest that he has assets worth shs 23 billion.
The list of properties he allegedly own are in Kyengera, Bunga, Munyonyo and Kololo.
Lenny
Lenny Twinomugisha heads Parliamentary Police. Reports indicate that he has been briefing his boss at least twice or once a day on what is happening in police.
Even last year’s raid on Parliament by unknown operatives, he is believed to have planned the move with Kayihura and several other security chiefs.
He is also considered to be very rich.
Ngabirano
Amos Ngabirano, the former director of ICT fled the country sensing an imminent arrest after President Yoweri Museveni ordered for his sacking.
Suspected to have been involved in espionage, Ngabirano was also cited in several scandals including mismanagement of CCTV project.
He is very rich and was on several occasions shielded by Kayihura as his boss.