‘MP Kiyonga telling lies’
Brig. Kankiriho
Accusations by Pokot County MP Francis Kiyonga that the army’s Special Forces Group killed a dozen Pokot warriors have stirred up a storm of counter-accusations. Risdel Kasasira caught up with Brig. Patrick Kankiriho who is the Third Division commander and in charge of the disarmament programme in Karamoja to get his side of the story.
Why do the accusations of killing civilians by UPDF in Karamoja keep coming?
First of all I had kept quiet on these lies because responding to them would be interpreted as if I’m on defensive. But I want to assure this country that what Kiyonga and the group saying are pure lies.
I want to tell you that the allegations, Kiyonga is making against Muhoozi Kainerugaba and me are total lies and should be dismissed. He recently went Lolo and said I’m the nephew of the Minister Karamoja Affairs(Janet Museveni). He has also lied that there are brigade Commanders here who relatives of president Museveni. He claimed that Kainerugaba has been killing people.
I want to tell that Muhoozi has no forces here. I’m the Commander of the disarmament. He has come here three times to train soldiers but he has no forces here. Kiyonga has said lots of lies and I thought we should just ignore him but let me say the army has not killed any civilian as he claimed. . There is no single truth in whatever he is saying.
Even the list he recently gave you, all those people he is talking about as unarmed civilians, were warriors who were ambushed and killed. Others are alive and he has decided to declare them dead. In his list he talked about Loesengoria Poghis. But this warrior killed in an ambush by the 19th battalion on August 4 and a gun was recovered from him. He also listed Loitanyang Oloo Lokrole. This was killed as he tried to raid Longadwot kraal. They were going to Kenya.
He was killed and a gun was recovered from him. He also mentioned Mzee Lobeyoiy. This man died of natural death in Kapenguria in Kenya. His list mentioned a woman allegedly killed by UPDF. But she was killed with a group of warriors and eight bullets were recovered from her.
Go to the cells in Moroto, there are those who were with her, they will tell that story. He is not even ashamed to say that that Lokodet, Loroo Parish is dead. This man is the chairman LCI and he alive. If they have political problems, let it be their affair. They should not involve us.
Three months ago you put in place an investigation but the findings have not been made public
Which investigations? Do you investigate nothing? You cannot investigate deaths which have not occurred. There was nothing like investigations here. Kiyonga seems not understand even where his constituency ends and begins because I saw him talking about places he claims are in his constituency but they are in a different constituency.
Is it possible that some elements in UPDF are covering up these crimes of killing innocent civilians?
I will not say I’m defending myself. We are open in our operations and we involved journalists and police. I think, instead of just taking lies from Kiyonga and the group, you journalists should have regular visits to the region. They should come and visit Amudat where Kiyonga says people were killed. We are open in whatever we do that’s why we have decided to carryout joint operations with police and we will continue to that. Let Kiyonga and the group not bring their political problems to UPDF. If you commit a crime as individual, we arrest and charge you. For Kiyonga to blame Muhoozi for death of a person who died in 2008 is unfair.
Why have Special Forces been deployed in a non-conventional war zone?
But why are you asking this because they are in Balarege in 5th division? You mean if you driving a car and you pass through Kampala Road, will they say you are stationed on Kampala Road? No. They are there for training.
Does it mean that the regular army have failed?
I want to tell you that I’m the commander of the third division and there is nothing Special Forces have taken over. I’m the disarmament commander and there is nothing like that. Uganda is free a country and people are free to say what they want. But they should be mindful that lies can never take you anywhere. Truth is a virtue.
There are parallel accusations that individuals in the army kill or abuse the locals to tarnish the image of the army
I want to ask you: In Kampala there are thieves, can you say that all people in Kampala are thieves? No. Even where you work at Monitor, you will find individuals who don’t follow the Company guidelines. If that case happens, will the blame be on the Company? If there are individuals who commit crimes they do it individually but not as an institution.
What did the army investigations find out?
To investigate what? I told you there was nothing like that because there was nothing to investigate. In all our operations, we do them smartly and we make sure that all parties are involved. Right now the operations are going on in Kotido and a team of journalists together with our forces and police in the area. So where and when will the soldiers commit crimes. We have committees composed of RDCs that regularly meet to devise means and ways to disarm the rustlers.
