In what appears to be a response to public outcry over worsening insecurity in the country, President Yoweri Museveni has today sacked Security Minister Maj. Gen. Henry Tumukunde and the Inspector General of Police Gen. Kale Kayihura.
Museveni has appointed General Elly Tumwiine as the new Minister for Security while Kayihura’s deputy Okoth Ochola has been promoted to IGP. He will be deputised by Brigadier Sabiiti Muzeei.
The sacking of the two principles comes in the wake of widespread outcry from MPs and members of the public that the two Generals were undermining each other with the possibility that their personal rivalries was costing lives.
With more than 12 years since being appointed IGP in 2005, Kayihura is one of Uganda’s longest-serving Police chiefs. He replaced Gen. Katumba Wamala. However many have come to associate his reign with increased police brutality, human rights violations, an uptick in crime and increased sectarianism in the force.
Other credit him for frustrating Opposition efforts to make Kampala and Uganda ungovernable as well as initiating a housing project to improve the living conditions of officers. Unfortunately, he has left before completing the mission of putting officers in decent houses.
