Kayihura cited in anti-Otunnu scheme

The Inspector General of Police, Maj. Gen Kale Kayihura, is allegedly chairing a group of people led by a former Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) member to cause a revolt in the party, Mr Olara Otunnu has said. The party leader yesterday said he had information about the alleged “UPC pressure group” whose leaders are former party members who defected to the ruling National Resistance Movement party.

He said the group consists of Mr Henry Mayega, Mr Chris Rwakasisi and Hajji Badru Wegulo. “These are wolves in sheep skin,” he said. Gen. Kayihura, in an SMS to Daily Monitor yesterday, described the allegations as “nonsense.”

At a press briefing in Masaka last month, the UPC Buganda group called for the resignation of Mr Otunnu from the party leadership due to ‘insignificance’.
Mr Otunnu warned party members against participating in such a scheme, saying it undermines loyalty to the party leadership.

The trio have since responded to the allegations. Mr Wegulo said: “If Otunnu is planning to run out of Uganda due to his failed leadership, he shouldn’t use my name. Those are kicks of a dying horse. I am not in any meeting and I have not met Gen. Kayihura, but above all, I am no longer a member of UPC.”

Mr Mayega said: “Mr Otunnu is paying the price for engineering the coup of 1985 and I would be glad to see him removed from the UPC leadership.” Mr Rwakasisi refused to comment on the allegations, promising to grant an interview to this paper after reading the story.