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Probe assasination claims, says Tinyefuza
What you need to know:
Gen. Tinyefuza writes to ISO boss, calling for investigations into reports that top military officers, including the President’s brother, Gen. Salim Saleh, had hatched a plot to eliminate senior government officials opposed to the ‘Muhoozi Project’.
KAMPALA
A senior member of the security forces has asked Internal Security Organisation (ISO) to investigate claims that top officials, including the chief of police, may have plotted to either assassinate, or frame, colleagues.
A member of the inner circle of Bush War comrades who fought alongside President Museveni between 1981-85, Gen. David Sejusa a.k.a. Tinyefuza, warns that “these are very serious allegations with potential to destabilise the country”.
His instructions are contained in an April 29 letter to the Director General at ISO which he confirmed having wrote. “Yes, I did author that letter sometime back and yes it is my letter,” he said yesterday.
The General also directs that the inquiry establishes if the plans to eliminate top officers, including himself, have anything to do with their opposition to the so-called “Muhoozi Project”.
“… the reason I have written this letter, is in regard to the very serious allegations that have appeared in the press that IGP, Brig. MK, Gen. SS, one Kellen and others hatched an evil and extrajudicial plan of stage-managing the attack on Mbuya barracks [in March] so as to frame some senior members of this government especially I, [Prime Minister] Amama Mbabazi and CDF, Gen. Aronda and those perceived to be anti-Brig. Muhoozi project.
Assassination allegations
“Further, you need to investigate the very serious claims that the same actors are re-organising elements of former Wembley under one police officer Ayegasire Nixon to assassinate people who disagree with this so-called family project of holding onto power in perpetuity,” he writes. Operation Wembley was a joint security response set up by the President Museveni in 2002 to combat run-away violent crime in Kampala and other parts of the country.
Gen. Sejusa writes that “indeed intelligence has picked some clandestine actions by this reckless and rather naïve actors to have some youth recruited as rebels and then frame some members of security services and key politicians perceived as anti-establishment.” The “Muhoozi project” he refers to is an alleged grand, though unspoken plan, to have the commanding officer of the Special Forces Command, Brig. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, replace his father as President.
Saleh issue
Gen. Sejusa, who is also the coordinator of intelligence services, refers to another message he sent to the director general voicing the concerns of serving officers at the involvement of Gen. Salim Salim in the army, matters of the economy and affairs of State.
A younger brother to the President, Gen. Saleh was formally retired from the army years ago although he was later appointed senior presidential adviser of defence and security. Yesterday, Gen. Saleh maintained that his position as a presidential adviser confirms that he has a role to play in the defence and security sector. “You very well know that I was appointed Senior Presidential Adviser on defence and security. I’m holding that office until March 1, 2015. True, I’m retired from the army, but I’m a senior presidential adviser and my contract was renewed last year until 2015,” Gen Saleh said in a telephone interview.
“I don’t understand him when he says I’m informally involved in the affairs of the army,” Gen. Saleh said. “My office is Bombo Military Barracks and I didn’t allocate it to myself. It’s absurd if he wrote that letter. He should make a public apology.” Additionally, Gen. Sejusa reflects on reports that Brig. Muhoozi was fast-tracked through ranks and how the so-called Muhoozi project was becoming divisive and a source of intrigue in the army.
Procedures
He said he has brought this and its possible consequences to the attention of the President.
But Gen. Saleh told the Daily Monitor that his colleague should be aware that there are clear procedures spelt out in the Constitution for one to be elected President. “I expected him (Sejusa) to be more informed on how someone becomes President. He is a long serving army officer and [one] expects him to know that” But Gen. Saleh, said he was shocked by the allegations made by Gen. Sejusa “He is abusing my intelligence and I didn’t expect such claims from a colleague like him.”
Police says
Police spokesperson Judith Nabakooba last evening said her boss, Gen. Kayihura, was engaged in a meeting and could not answer his phone. But, on her part, Ms Nabakooba said the matter was too sensitive to be answered by her. We were unable to get comment from Brig. Muhoozi and Special Forces Command spokesperson Edison Kwesiga, as their known phone numbers were not available. But Army spokesperson, Lt. Col. Paddy Ankunda, said the Force was unified.