Today, Wednesday 9, 2022, former Chief of Military Intelligence Maj. Gen. Abel Kandiho was scheduled to leave for Juba following his deployment to South Sudan a fortnight ago.
The spymaster who assumed CMI office in 2017 was succeeded by Maj. Gen James Birungi.
However, on Tuesday, the country was awash with UPDF communique that the Commander in Chief (CIC) had decided to retain the no nonsense soldier in the top ranks of Uganda Police, as Joint Chief of Staff replacing Maj Gen Jack Bakasumba who was deployed to South Sudan as Uganda delegate to Peace Monitoring Mechanism.
“Just in: H.E the President and C -in- C of the UPDF has appointed Maj Gen Abel Kandiho as Chief of Joint Staff of Uganda Police Force replacing Maj Gen Jack Bakasumba who has been appointed the Ugandan Delegate to the South Sudan Peace Monitoring Mechanism,” UPDF broke news on Twitter, arousing excitement among a section of Ugandans who initially perceived Kandiho’s transfer a huge error in the security apparatus of the country.
Kandiho is credited for protecting millions of Rwandan refugees whose life was at stake before his appointment in CMI.
A couple of rogue security agents working closely with their Rwandan counterparts would kidnap and repatriate the refugees from Uganda to face criminals charges in Rwanda.
Many of those repatriated until today remain incarcerated in Kigali safe houses, others have never been seen again.
The announcement of Kandiho’s return to serve in Uganda Police followed an address by Rwandan President Paul Kagame who sounded war-drums maintaining that Rwanda will fight whoever “wants war.”
He said Rwanda has trained professionals to fight war.
He was presiding over the swearing in of new ministers at the same time addressing MPs.
It remains unknown why the person of Kagame maintains war as a solution to Rwanda’s problems with her neighbours despite efforts and good will by the neighbours to resolve the frosty bilateral relations.
In one of the demands to reopen her border-Gatuna/Katuna- with Uganda, Rwanda asked for removal of Gen Kandiho from his position as CMI boss claiming that he had supervised mass arrests of Rwandan nationals in Uganda.
Days after his transfer to South Sudan, Rwanda announced border reopening which has been closed for 3 years.
However, Rwanda would later change position insisting that only trucks will be allowed not citizens.
The announcement to reopen border erupted excitement in Kigali, with buses selling tickets for 2 weeks.
Sources in Rwanda told this website that the impending mass movement of citizens who booked bus tickets worried the government.
Most Rwandans who travel to Uganda by air, return home with loads of raw food and fruits an indication that “something is not right.”
Efforts to reach Kandiho for a comment were unsuccessful as his known mobile phone number was off.
However, sources in security contend that South Sudan is struggling with armed conflicts and Kandiho couldn’t be a target considering his efforts to head countless counter terrorism operations in the region.
“He could be targeted by terrorists who are taking advantage of South Sudan crisis,” sources said.