Kayihura and his troubled circle at a glance

What you need to know:

  • His reign. When Gen Kale Kayihura came at the helm of the police force, he built a ring of young officers around him – many of them ordinarily not qualified to be policemen but whom he bent the rule for.
  • In time, they would consolidate his hold onto the force but also sow the seeds of his downfall as they abused the enormous power they wielded.
  • Since his sacking early this year, a number of them have been arrested on several accusations.
  • Yesterday as he was arrested, some of these officers were also arrested.

Kampala.

Even before Gen Edward Kale Kayihura was born on December 26, 1955, his father John Kalekyezi (Kale) had already laid for him a firm foundation.
John Kale was very instrumental in the fight for Uganda’s independence. Although Kale died in a plane crash on August 17, 1960 Kiev, Ukraine, before Uganda attained her independence, his mark on Uganda’s struggle for independence was a fertile ground for Gen Kayihura’s career.
As an orphan, Kayihura started his primary education in Gasiza Primary School in Kisoro District, where his father hailed from. He later joined Buhinga Primary School in Fort Portal District where he was elected a school prefect.

After completing his primary level, he was admitted to Mutolere Senior Secondary School in Kisoro.
His childhood friend, Reverend Father James Burasa, Regional Superior Congregation of Holy Cross, District of East Africa says Gen Kayihura was a brilliant child and became the best student in his school after sitting the East African Ordinary Certificate of Education (EACE) examinations in 1973.
In 1976, he left St Mary’s College Kisubi after attaining the East African Advanced Certificate of Education and joined Makerere University.

He completed his law degree in 1979 at the time when Idi Amin’s regime was ending.
He enrolled for a bar course at the Law Development Centre and got a diploma in legal practice. Before practising law, he did his Masters in Law at the University of London.
When parts of the western Uganda were captured by the NRM, he became the head of the anti-smuggling operations between 1985 and 1986.

After the NRM took power, he remained in the army working in different capacities and rose from the rank of Junior Officer Class II to Lt Colonel when he was appointed the Chief Political Commissar of the army and later on the Military Assistant to President Museveni. He would head the Special Revenue Police Service, an anti-smuggling unit and coordinating the fight against the Uganda National Rescue Front II rebels in Sudan.
In October 2005, he was appointed Police Chief replacing Lt. Gen. Katumba Wamala.

Herbert Muhangi

1992. Muhangi joined as a police Constable in 1992. He worked in Wandegeya Police Station as post officer-in-charge. In 2007, he applied as a cadet. He worked in Kiruhura District as officer-in-charge. He was later promoted to the rank of Superintendent. He joined Flying Squad Unit as a commander. In 2016, he was promoted to the rank of Assistant Commissioner of Police.

Joel Aguma

2008. Joel Aguma, a graduate of fine art, started to make his mark when he was District Police Commander of Jinja Road Police Station in 2008. Aguma was then transferred to the then Rapid Response Unit as the commander. In 2012, Aguma was transferred to the Directorate of Counter Terrorism as the acting Commissioner in-charge-of Intelligence and Investigations.

Abdallah Kitatta

Boda boda 2010 patron, Abdallah Kitatta and 12 others are battling cases that could lead to a death sentence on conviction. Kitatta and his co-accused, all members of infamous Boda Boda 2010, were on January 29 charged at Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence’s Unit Disciplinary Court at Mbuya Army Barracks with five counts, one of which is failure to protect war materials that attracts a death sentence on conviction.

Atwooki Ndahura

2001. Ndahura, then a UPDF captain, was named in the violent General Election. He is said to have harassed supporters of Kinkizi West constituency candidate, Mr James Garuga Musinguzi, when he was contesting against Mr Amama Mbabazi. Dr Kizza accused Ndahura, then commander of Presidential Protection Unit, of election violence. However, after the incident, he was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel. In 2015, appointed Police Director for Crime Intelligence.

Jonathan Baroza

2007. He joined police as a cadet Assistant Superintendent of Police. In 2012 he was promoted to the rank of Superintendent of Police. He was transferred to IGP’s office as his personal assistant. In 2016, he was again promoted to the rank of Assistant Commissioner of Police. In April 2017, he was sent to Algeria as a police attaché.

Amos Ngabirano

2010. He is a civilian who joined police in 2010 to head the ICT Directorate. Controversial procurements under him included the non-existent bomb detector for the Speaker of Parliament vehicle. The planned nationwide CCTV cameras installation project and the purchase of police helicopters also raised eye brows for the inflated costs. He left police in March.

Siraje Bakaleke

2007. Bakaleke joined as Constable. He applied, was taken and passed out as a Cadet. He was later deployed in Old Kampala Police Division as division commander. In 2012, he was promoted to the rank of Superintendent. In 2014, he was promoted to SSP. In 2016, he was promoted to ACP.

Richard Ndaboine

2007. He joined as police constable. He was deployed under the IGP’s office and later became the IGP’s assistant. In 2009, he was promoted to a Sergeant. In 2010, he was promoted to Inspector and in 2012 to ASP. In 2016, he became SSP.

Nixon Agasirwe

2002. It was during the hotly contested Mbarara Municipality elections between Ngoma Ngime and Winnie Byanyima, when Mr Agasirwe was hired by the then Mbarara Regional Police Commander, Mr Edward Ochom. Mr Ochom used him and a few others as police informants for several years. Mr Agasirwe abandoned his shoe business, rising without formal training to head, first the Rapid Response Unit.