Museveni gave me personal security, Kitatta tells military court
Former Boda Boda 2010 patron Abdullah Kitatta in the dock at Army court recently. FILE PHOTO
KAMPALA- The patron of Boda Boda 2010, Abdullah Kitatta, who is facing charges of unlawful possession of fire arms, on Monday told the General Court Martial, that President Yoweri Museveni ordered the former Inspector General of Police, Gen Kale Kayihura to give him security since his life was in danger.
Kitatta told the Military Court in Makindye, Kampala that his life was deemed to be in danger because of “the nature of work” he was doing for the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party.
Mr Museveni is the Chairman of NRM.
“I met my chairman NRM [President Museveni] and I explained to him my problem. He handed me over to the then IGP Kale Kayihura. Gen Kayihura asked what problems I had and the work I was doing. Kayihura promised to call me back and he indeed called me,” Mr Kitatta said.
He said: “He [Gen. Kayihura] met me in the presence of the late Andrew Felix Kaweesi, whom he instructed to avail me with security. He instructed Kaweesi to get a plain-clothed police officer for me and this was implemented.”
Basing on the account of how he got personal security, Kitatta who defended himself on oath, denied ever being in unlawful possession of a golden pistol.
He explained that at the time of his arrest, in a hotel in Kampala, he had gone to meet some people as a leader and he always met them from the venue since it has CCTV cameras.
“My story can be verified by the footage of the hotel’s CCTV camera. This is the only evidence that can save me from these allegations,” he said.
Prosecution alleges that Kitatta and his co-accused were found in possession of two sub-machine guns, three pistols, bullets and military uniforms without valid firearms licences on January 21 at Vine Tea Hotel in Wakaliga, Nateete in Rubaga Division, Kampala.
Further in his defence, Kitatta who was dressed in a yellow T-shirt, the NRM party colour, denied being the patron or a member of the infamous Boda Boda 2010.
Instead, he explained, he has two offices in Bulange, Mengo under the National Union of Drivers, Cyclists and Allied Workers in Uganda.
After tendering in a photocopy of the registration certificate above-mentioned organisation that he claimed to be linked to, court tasked him to produce the original certificate during the next session. Kitatta has been on remand in a Military Police Prison at Makindye since February last year.
His co-accused are John Ssebandeke, a crime preventer from Nabweru in Wakiso District, Joel Kibirige, Matia Ssenfuka, Hassan Ssebata, Hussein Mugema, Fred Bwanika, Amon Twinomujuni, Sowali Ngoobi and Ibrahim Sekajja. Most of the suspects are members of Boda Boda 2010 Association.
He concluded his defence on Monday with prosecution expected to cross examine him at the next session on January 21.
