On January 9, 2017 all Military units received a radio message from the Commander in Chief (CiC), Gen Yoweri Kaguta Museveni announcing a mega reshuffle in which he dropped his son as SFC Commander.
In the same reshuffle army commander Gen Edward Katumba Wamala was transferred to a political office as state minister for works having been replaced by Gen David Muhoozi who previously commanded land forces.
Brig Don Nabaasa then deputy commander of Special Forces Command (SFC) took full charge of this lethal military unit while Maj Gen Muhozi Kainerugaba was appointed Presidential advisor for special operations.
As a surprise, Gen Kale Kayihura was retained as IGP despite several media reports highlighting his frosty relation with President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni.
Museveni’s body language every time he met Kayihura on public functions would speak volumes.
This all happened at a time, Kayihura’s contract was nearing expiry and therefore the media suggested the appointing authority wouldn’t renew his contract.
The former IGP’s contract would end on November 1, 2017 after serving 12 years. But in a shocking turn of events, Mr. Museveni offered Gen Kayihura more three years.
This was another surprise to Ugandans.
At the time of extending his term of office, Museveni publically warned Kayihura to rigorously clean the police which had been infiltrated by criminals.
He sounded warning while eulogizing former AIGP Andrew Felix Kaweesi who was assassinated on March 17, 2017 as he left home for work.
Reports gathered indicated Kaweesi had several times received life threatening phone calls which he ignored.
Other sources of information suggested he had become a threat to many in the police establishment hence he was eliminated.
Indeed, top police officials are currently detained in military facilities for allegedly masterminding the grisly murder of Kaweesi.
Gen Kayihura who is among those detained, was sacked in March this year and arrested three month after.
Although his case has not been made public, information in security circles indicate he is accused of killing Kaweesi.
2017 security shakeup
TrumpetNews has exclusively established that President Museveni had finalised a list of those he wanted to transfer from different offices.
Top on the list were Maj Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, Gen Edward Katumba Wamala and Gen Kale Kayihura.
It however, stunned those who had caught a glimpse of the final list to learn that Kayihura’s name was removed on the last minute.
Our highly placed sources in military reveal that it true, Museveni wanted to sack Kayihura in 2017, however he got stuck with the once powerful army general not that it was difficult to find a suitable replacement but an aura Kayihura created portraying frosty relations with the President.
The Story…
This website reliably learnt that before effecting the reshuffle last year, Museveni summoned Kayihura, Katumba and Muhoozi at state house.
“No one was aware or knew why they had been summoned. In fact the trio thought there was an emergency which required urgent attention since the three all headed top security agencies,” said a source.
At the meeting, Museveni emerged as very angry and had failed to speak why he called these UPDF generals.
“I am going to sack all of you,” a source privy to the meeting quotes Museveni as having said.
“You Muhoozi I will sack you, You Katumba, you have disappointed me. You Kayihura what happened?” the President threw jabs at the three who visibly looked confused.
After a few minutes as everyone looked astonished, the President opened up, “Katumba and Kayihura you have failed to keep your jobs.”
The two powerful army generals thought this was a security concern and somewhere in the country there was an attack which threatened the big man’s seat.
It is that this point that Museveni told Kayihura and Katumba that they had failed to protect Muhoozi, “why are you failing this young boy?” Museveni questioned.
He said, NRM historical, they are supposed to groom Muhoozi but instead they were misleading him.
Whereas the two denied deluding the first son, a source said Museveni had landed on intelligence exposing their ‘sordid actions.’
Asked to expound on the sordid actions, our source declined.
This website understands that upon confirming he would be dropped as IGP, a job he loved immensely, Kayihura was bound to manipulate those he thought were a threat of his position.
He began a media campaign to publicize what would be deemed as poor relations with President Museveni.
“Such campaign would expose the President as fighting Kayihura if he attempted to sack him,” a source added.
But a very extremely clever Museveni kept him as IGP, renewed his contract and waited for when it was appropriate to swing the axe.
Security pundits say, Kayihura miscalculated, had he accepted to be sacked last year, may be now he would be a freeman.
“In a bid to execute all his missions in a shortest time possible, he left many loopholes and exposed himself,” said an observer.