Kayihura has case to answer, says Odongo

Briefing. The Minister of Internal Affairs, Gen Jeje Odongo, addresses journalists at the ministry headquarters in Kampala yesterday. PHOTO BY ABUBAKER LUBOWA

What you need to know:

  • Implicated. The minister says there is reasonable evidence to support the alleged crimes against the former police chief.

Kampala.

The Minister of Internal Affairs, Gen Jeje Odongo, has said the military-detained former Inspector General of Police, Gen Kale Kayihura, and his co-accused have a case to answer.
Gen Odongo said this yesterday while answering questions from journalists about what charges are being considered by the State against Gen Kayihura.
He declined to give details about the charges but indicated that there is reasonable evidence to support the alleged crimes against the former police chief who was arrested by the army at his country home in Kashagama, Lyantonde District, on June 13 on unspecified charges.
“It would be preposterous to go to your house and pick you for no cause at all… The fact that my colleagues -- police officers-- have been brought in for questioning, presupposes that there is a prima facie [credible information that they committed the alleged crimes],” Gen Odongo told the press at the ministry of Internal Affairs headquarters in Kampala yesterday.
He declined to divulge further information, saying it was premature to talk substantively about the matter as investigations are still ongoing.
It is the Director of Public Prosecutions who determines charges against the suspects. However, by press time yesterday, it was unclear whether the DPP had received a file regarding the case.
Gen Kayihura is detained at Makindye military barracks in Kampala alongside Herbert Muhangi (former commander of the police Flying Squad), Lt Col Atwooki Ndahura (former director of Crime Intelligence in police) and several other police officers who were separately arrested last week. The charges against them are not yet disclosed.
Gen Odongo said the stability in the country despite the arrest of a four-star general is proof that the government is still in charge of national security.
“On May 11, 1980, Maj Gen Oyite Ojok was deployed in Algeria and the government was overthrown. Today, you can arrest a four-star general and everyone can go to the market and nothing happens,” Gen Odongo said, referring to former president Godfrey Binaisa.
The late Binaisa was overthrown by the military after an attempt to assert his authority by deploying the powerful Maj Gen Oyite Ojok to Algeria as ambassador.
On Tuesday, the Uganda People’s Defence Forces reappointed Lt Gen Andrew Gutti as chairman of the General Court Martial, paving way for Gen Kayihura’s trial.