Dr Besigye demands Gen Kayihura's sacking
Former presidential candidate Dr Kizza Besigye addressing journalists in Kampala on Thursday. Photo by Abubaker Lubowa
What you need to know:
- Citing the military where top officials were recently reported to have been involved in fraudulent deals including arms smuggling, Dr Besigye said police was not the only security institution to be infiltrated.
Kampala. Former Opposition presidential candidate Dr Kizza Besigye has called for the sacking or immediate resignation of Inspector General of Police, Gen Kale Kayihura for what he terms as failure to do his job among other things.
The police force which Gen Kayihura leads has recently been under fire over allegations of infiltration by criminals who terrorise Ugandans.
On Monday this week, the accusations gained more prominence after suspects paraded by Gen Kayihura openly confessed that they are backed by police officers in the planning and execution of their crimes. Police in a statement later denied the allegations.
“I think if the regime wants to salvage whatever is left of any care about this country; Mr Kayihura should be thrown out of office. Of course, if it was a more decent political system in which people have authority he would have resigned himself. He cannot manage dealing with this, he is partly the problem and I think it will do this country good for him to get out,” Dr Besigye said during a media briefing at his Katonga Road offices in Kampala.
The four time presidential candidate also condemned the parading of suspects by police which has been widely criticized by lawyers and human rights activists as illegal.
“First, his action was wrong to parade suspects because that is what they are—suspects until they are proven by a competent court of law. They must be presumed innocent. For you Mr Policeman [Kayihura] to parade people that they are criminals when nobody has tried them is violation of rights which must be condemned by everybody…” he said.
Citing the military where top officials were recently reported to have been involved in fraudulent deals including arms smuggling, Dr Besigye said police was not the only security institution to be infiltrated.
“It is horrifying to know conmen bringing people from Europe taking them to the boardroom of the ministry of defence at the defence headquarters passing through all the security checks, getting to the heart of our national security, faking documents,” he said.
