Gen Kale Kayihura must be a man of great faith. How else can we explain the fact that he still believes President Museveni will overlook all the accusations that have been levelled against him to reconcile and work with again? It has come to our attention through sources close to his family that he recently sent his son Kale to deliver a message urging Kisoro LCV Chairman Abel Bizimana to go slow. The message was that Bizimana should stop the mobilization he was undertaking to stage a massive demo in Kisoro to denounce President Museveni and his NRM government for the very humiliating incarceration their son has continued to endure at the Makindye detention facility. Kayihura’s message was that such a demonstration would political injure President Museveni’s ratings amongst the Bafumbira and would be used by his political opponents for propaganda purposes. “That doesn’t mean that I’m weak in mobilization. That isn’t true. I have a few million supporters out there but I have been sending out messages discouraging them from showing any disaffection towards the President because it won’t be good to politically discomfort him,” Kayihura was quoted to subsequently have told one of his private visitors at Makindye. He explained that there are many people he worked with and empowered who are hurting seeing the way he has ended and those can potentially spearhead mobilization and create scenes of political discomfort by way of staging demonstrations. He further explained that he still believes it’s possible to reconcile with the President and he is certain that will happen someday. “He believes the President is currently being fed on a lot of false information regarding his track record as IGP and all the anger will end the moment he verifies and gets the truth,” added the source that is among those privileged few who get audience with the ex-IGP at least on a weekly basis. The source added that Kayihura, who has already got his lawyers of KAA agree to represent him free of charge since his financial position has been unenviable since his knifing as IGP after which his taps are understood to have been cut off, believes that at the end of the reconciliation process the president will help him pay the lawyers. And there precedence to this because a few years ago, Museveni paid the lawyers after successfully reconciling with the rebel MPs on the eve of the 2016 elections. Kayihura, who has been too careful so far not to manifest any bitterness towards the system, believes that Museveni is very magnanimous to repentant foes and assured his lawyers of the possibility for Museveni to meet their legal expenses. This hope of the whole thing ending into reconciliation explains why Kayihura hasn’t instructed his lawyers to apply to court for a writ of Habeas Corpus (compelling the military to produce him in court) and won’t be doing it soon. In fact it’s not only the lawyers but all the other people, including personal doctors, currently giving professional services to the General for free. Reliable sources say even his family has materially continued to survive on the good will of the friends Kayihura made while still powerful and these have continued to privately stand with his family-including financially. “They are reciprocating the good things he did for them when still powerful,” said a knowledgeable source. His incarceration has also enhanced unity amongst the leaders of Kisoro because the likes of MP Sam Bitangaro and others now spearheading efforts to get the President forgive him are people who previously considered Gen Kayihura hostile to their politics. Even Nsaba Buturo and LC5 Chairman believe the Kayihura era police backed their rivals during the 2016 elections but they have offered to overlook all that and stand in solidarity behind Kayihura, who remains one of the most illustrious sons Kisoro ever produced.
