Local leaders and residents of Kisoro district have requested that President Museveni appoint Gen. Kale Kayihura as a minister after his retirement from the army.
This comes after the President approved the retirement of Kayihura and 10 other generals and senior officers of the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF).
Kayihura, a resident of Kanabukunga village in Nyakabande sub-county of Kisoro district, is one of the 11 military men set to retire this year.
The locals feel that a ministerial position would be the ideal compensation for his selfless contributions to the nation as a top security officer in Uganda.
“Gen Kale is to thank for the structures and organisational structure of the Police Force,” One of the leaders in Kisoro, said, adding that, “When you look at the discipline and training these officers have, especially those who went through Gen Kayihura’s arms, they are absolutely different from those who have been recruited after the reign of Kale Kayihura.”
On March 4, 2018, Kayihura was fired from the Inspector General of Police position he had held for more than 12 years, and Martins Okoth Ochola took over in his place. He was taken into custody in June of that same year during an operation led by Wilson Mbadi, who was then the deputy commander of defence forces for the UPDF.
Kayihura was imprisoned at the military police headquarters in Makindye for 76 days without being tried after being taken into custody by the army he served in. He was then charged with three crimes at his court martial arraignment, including failure to protect war materials in violation of UPDF Act 2005 Sections 122(1) and (2).
According to the details of this count, Kayihura permitted the use of weapons and ammunition between 2010 and 2018, including by members of the militant group Boda Boda 2010, commanded by Abdallah Kitatta, who was imprisoned before him.
The flying squad, the specialised operations unit, the witness protection unit, and the crime intelligence directorate of the Uganda Police Force were among the specialised units under the office of the IGP that received weapons and ammunition, according to the second count against Kayihura.
Kayihura was also charged with assisting and abetting kidnapping. He is accused of committing this crime between 2012 and 2016.
It is alleged that he by omission and commission assisted and abetted the kidnapping of subordinate police officers and others on numerous occasions without hindrance to kidnap and illegally repatriate Rwandan exiles, refugees, and Ugandan citizens to Rwanda.
