A clandestine joint security operation has been launched to head-hunt Gen Kale Kayihura’s former personal assistant Jonathan Baroza and be brought back to Uganda to provide some security bodies including CMI needed information.
Baroza, who recently received summons from the new Police Chief Martin Okoth Ochola while on his work station in Algeria where Kayihura had posted him as the Police Attache before being fired, would later vanish from Turkish Airport as he returned home.
Police on Wednesday issued a statement clarifying that Baroza has gone AWOL (absent without official leave) and will be declared a deserter should he fail to report to Police head offices at the end of July…read here.. https://trumpetnews.co.ug/police-to-declare-baroza-deserter-faces-court-martial/
Baroza before he was posted to Algeria as as Uganda Police Liaison Officer, worked very closely with Kayihura who to date is detained at a military facility in Makindye in Kampala.
Kayihura was last month trailed and subsequently arrested from Western Uganda after he attempted what reports say, fleeing Uganda to a neighbouring country which he has reportedly worked with secretly to topple President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni.
Upon Kayihura’s arrest, several of his other juniors including Herbert Muhangi who commanded flying squad unit, Ndahura Atwooki who led Crime Intelligence Unit, Nixon Agasirwe, Joel Aguma had been arrested by Military Intelligence and Internal Security Organisation (ISO).
However, two of Kayihura’s close allies; Jonathan Baroza and Amos Ngabirano who headed the ICT directorate remain at large.
Ngabirano fled Uganda on learning his imminent arrest sanctioned by President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni.
Museveni had for long criticised Kayihura’s leadership for breeding ‘weevil’ that infiltrated the force, committed heinous crimes and orchestrated a state of insecurity in the country.
Many believe, the motive of causing instability was to undermine the regime, since security has been one core factor which the State has greatly thrived on.
For a long time, Gen Kayihura linked various assassinations of prominent government officials and muslim clerics to a rebel group ADF and also attached other related crimes to state opponents in Kampala.
However, the execution of his junior officer AIGP Andrew Kaweesi on March 17, 2017, exposed more than what the public knew.
Senior police officers who were close to Kayihura were later arrested at the end of last year by Military Intelligence and charged with illegal repatriation of Rwandan refugees, kidnap and several other murders.
Since then, the crime rate in the country shot up as the public blamed government of failing to protect its citizens.
In March, President Museveni though his social media page announced he had dropped Kayihura as IGP and replaced him with his deputy Martin Okoth Ochola.
Ochola would be deputised by Muzeeyi Sabiiti who formerly worked as commander of military police.
The public perceived the reshuffle as a move to curb criminality and bring police to order.
The development has seen top police commander arrested by ISO and Military Intelligence operatives although police claims to have been part of the operation.
Many of Kayihura’s associates who are civilians have also been arrested and found with weapons.
State Witness
A source in the military who wished to remain unnamed citing sensitivity of this matter revealed that police commander who were arrested along with Kayihura are considering testifying against him.
Among those willing to pin Kayihura include Herbert Muhangi, Ndawura Atwooki and Nixon Agasirwe.
The source says that they say that there is no way they could have committed the atrocities without the knowledge of Kayihura.
Against this backdrop, the military through IGP Ochola summoned Baroza who was very close to Kayihura to testify against him, “Baroza knows a lot,” said a source.
This website understands that whereas Baroza had fully agreed to cooperate with the military he would later disagree on learning he will be incarcerated.
“He learnt that he will be in custody just like his other colleagues. He wondered if he is state witness why would he then be jailed. More so there is no time frame when he would be released,” said a source.
Subversion
Trumpetnews has again learnt that whereas reports suggest that Kayihura is charged with murder of Kaweesi, truth is Kayihura was involved in subversive activities.
Information obtained by Military Intelligence and ISO, link Kayihura to several activities covertly launched to depose Museveni’s government.
The intelligence gathered indicates that it is true, he was collaborating with a neighbouring country.
When reached for a comment on the fate of Kayihura and his other junior officers who remain in detention to date, UPDF spokesperson Brigadier Richard Karemire told this website that, “the investigations are continuing on those officers. The outcome will determine the subsequent course of action.
On whether Baroza will be turn into state witness, police publicist Emilian Kayima dismissed it as “speculation” adding that Baroza once he is arrested will be charged by police court unlike earlier reports that he faces court martial.