I warned Kayihura about Museveni but he never listened, says Bobi

National Unity Platform (NUP) presidential flag bearer Robert Kyagulanyi, alias Bobi Wine, has promised to pardon the former Inspector General of Police, Gen Kale Kayihura, who is facing criminal charges in the army court.

Mr Kyagulanyi yesterday heaped praises on Gen Kayihura who he once described as his tormentor who was working to “impress his master” [President Museveni].

“I used to tell my brother and friend Gen Kale Kayihura that Museveni is not a good man but he didn’t listen to me. As you all know, whenever Gen Kayihura wanted to preach the message against marijuana smoking in the ghetto, he could send me,” Bobi Wine said during the campaign in Kisoro yesterday. Kisoro is Gen Kayihura’s home district.

On Saturday, President Museveni met NRM leaders in Kigezi Sub-region in Kabale Town, but some leaders from Kisoro did not attend. They said they wanted Mr Museveni to go to Kisoro to meet them because they wanted to tell him their grievances about the prosecution of Gen Kayihura and other unfulfilled pledges of tarmacking tourism roads, construction of John Kale Institute of Science and Technology and expansion of Kisoro airfield, among others.

Yesterday, Bobi Wine said Mr Museveni lacks the courage to campaign in Kisoro.

“He was sacked together with Lt Gen Henry Tumukunde (former Security minister) but the latter was exonerated and he is running for president but the former is still in ‘‘prison’’. He cannot even come to his home area. If I am lying, I dare Mr Museveni to come and campaign with Gen Kayihura here in Kisoro,” he said.

Past rallies

In 2011, Bobi Wine worked closely with Gen Kayihura in a campaign against drug abuse in Kampala slums..

However, a few years later in 2017, when Bobi Wine turned into an active politician, Gen Kayihura, then Inspector General of Police, blocked his music concerts.  Gen Kayihura was sacked as IGP in April 2018 in the wake of a spate of killings that rocked the country, especially the murder of women in Wakiso District, kidnaps for ransom and assassination of Muslim clerics and some government officials.

During his campaign in Kisoro yesterday, Mr Kyagulanyi promised to fulfil President Museveni’s old pledge of establishing Kale Memorial University and Kisoro Airport in commemoration of John Kalekezi, the father of Gen Kayihura.

Mr Kyagulanyi campaigned with his wife Barbara Itungo who raised the campaign tempo in western region, her home area.  Ms Itungo rooted for the women cause and urged them to be economically productive to fight poverty.