New anti-crime unit, CIID clash
L-R Gen Kale Kayihura created the Special Operations Unit, Ms Grace Akullo heads the Criminal Investigations and Intelligence Directorate.
What you need to know:
Bone of contention. The CIID accuses the newly-created Special Operations Unit of carrying out parallel investigations and arrests without sharing information.
Kampala. A battle is raging between the Criminal Investigations and Intelligence Directorate (CIID) and a newly- created unit that tackles violent crimes on how to manage cases.
Gen Kale Kayihura, the police chief, recently created a new unit called Special Operations Unit (SOU) to investigate violent criminal cases, including intelligence gathering.
The CIID and its affiliate police units; the Flying Squad and Special Investigations Division (SID), are accusing SOU of carrying out parallel investigations and arrests, especially in the killings in Busoga sub-region and that of Joan Kagezi, the senior state attorney, without sharing information as a joint team.
A police source, who preferred anonymity because he is not authorised to talk to the press, said the fights were uglier in Busoga sub-region where CIID, Flying Squad, and SID team collided with SOU operatives over arrests of suspects.
It is alleged that SOU carried out arrest of seven suspects in Busoga but when the CIID team asked them to share with them the information, the SOU operatives declined.
The SOU operatives told CIID that they report only to Gen Kayihura.
A source said the CIID termed SOU’s refusal as interference in their investigations, and they (CIID) pulled out their special teams from the Busoga killing investigations.
Another squabble has emerged in the investigations of the murder of Joan Kagezi, a senior state attorney, with the two teams carrying out parallel investigations to hunt for the killers and each carrying out its own arrests.
When the police spokesperson, Mr Fred Enanga, was contacted, he said he wasn’t aware of any collision within the police department.
Well-coordinated
“What I know is that there are joint teams that were established to carry out investigations in Busoga region, terrorism and the killing of Kagezi. The teams are all jointly working well,” Mr Enanga said.
Asked whether he is aware of the existence of SOU, Mr Enanga was evasive but said some of the police teams are supposed to be for covert operations and he can’t reveal their identities in the press.
Most operatives in SOU belonged to former Rapid Response Unit before it was disbanded in 2011.
When Flying Squad was later created, they were transferred there but many left the unit claiming harassment, disrespect and arrogance of the new heads.
