Museveni Sacks IGP and Security Minister In A Surprise Reshuffle
IGP Kale Kayihura and Security Minister Henry Tumukunde were replaced by Okoth Ochola and Gen. Elly Tumwiine respectively – the new IGP Okoth Ochola will be deputized by Brigadier Sabiiti Muzeei.
“In the Exercise of the powers vested in the President by Articles 113 (1) and 213 (2) of the Constitution of the Republic of Uganda, I hereby appoint General Elly Tumwiine as Minister for Security, Mr. Okoth Ochola as the Inspector-General of Police and Brigadier Sabiiti Muzee as the Deputy Inspector General of Police,” part of the statement from the president’s office read.
The two senior officers, Gen. Kale Kayihura and Lt. Gen. Henry Tumukunde, have for a while been pointed fingers at for the deteriorating security situation in the country due to their personal conflicts.
Conflicts
Mid-February this year, President Museveni admitted the rift between the two generals saying security institutions are not having conflicts but rather the individuals who head them.
“Security institutions are not fighting; the ones that head these institutions are the ones fighting. We shall not accept this and it will stop. They have to fight the enemy and not themselves,” he said.
The move comes after criticism from both the public and local leaders over the recent state of security where people have been kidnapped and killed in different across the country; the recent being the death of a 28-year-old lady who was kidnapped, fingers cut off and killed.
The names of the new appointees for Inspector General of Police and Security Minister have been sent to Parliament for approval.
Lt. General Tumukunde and General Kale Kayihura will be given other duties.
Opposition Skeptical
However, some opposition leaders are saying the new IGP Okoth Ochola will not be “taking the shots” but rather his deputy, Sabiiti Muzeei, whose father was married to one of the president’s maternal aunties.
"On one hand, one would say it’s good riddance but on the other hand, there’s a lot of anxiety because we don’t know what’s going to happen. We all saw this coming but the system has remained constant, we just see a change of faces. I have no doubt in Mr. Okoth Ochola's competences but I’m not sure he will not be the one to call the shots; his deputy, Brig Sabiiti Muzeei, is the one who will call the shots," opposition figure, also Kampala city Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago said in an interview with NBS TV
The weekly police presser which was scheduled for Monday was postponed after the announcement of the reshuffle.