Following the unexpected changes in police and security ministry that saw Gen Kale Kayihura lose his coveted IGP job, even when his contract was validly still on, one of his long serving protégés Tamale Mirundi seems to be on a mission to re-align and find new friends in powerful positions. During his Monday Top Radio program with Steven Dunstan Busuulwa, Mirundi appeared to have made a huge U-turn on some of the things he was previously known for including his views on Kampala Minister Beti Kamya. Whereas he has always attacked her, Mirundi now says Kamya is a very good mobilizer who is very consultative and development-minded unlike KCCA ED Jennifer Musisi who believes in brutality as opposed to consultative leadership.
He said Beti Kamya is a good leader because she is already out consulting different groups including the Boda-Bodas to get their views so that the bottom-up approach takes root in Kampala. “Whereas Kamya consults the real stakeholders, Jennifer Musisi consults Mafias like Andrew Mwenda who have no major stake in the city when it comes to producing wealth. They are just parasites but Kamya is consulting the real stakeholders who aren’t money-minded,” Mirundi said to the bewilderment of his listeners. He also said the Nakivubo reconstruction project, spearheaded by his relative Ham Kiggundu, was going well and on schedule because as the relevant political leader, Kamya has been very supportive. It wasn’t readily clear as to what has informed Mirundi’s new position on Kamya whom he has always attacked as not credible enough to hold any leadership position.
TUMUKUNDE/KAYIHURA:
Mirundi also said he has never said that Kayihura would defeat Security Minister Henry Tumukunde. “Instead what I said has come to pass because you have no clear winner now. The race has ended in a draw as they are both out and that is what I predicted in my book,” said Mirundi adding that even when Kayihura is finally out of office as IGP, work must go on and people should prepare to embrace the new leadership at Naguru. He also warned detractors not to write off Kayihura as yet “because it will take decades to wipe out Kayihura-ism in the Police.” Having headed the Force for 14 years, Kayihura has left behind many allies and protégés he trained and empowered, Mirundi said. “Where are you going to put all those young DPCs that he brought up and sent for training? Are you going to purge all of them in order to end Kayihura-ism in Police? It won’t be easy to do away with the Kayihura legacy.” He went on to say that the manner in which his man Kayihura was fired was indicative of how powerful President Museveni is. “He is the only one who can fire two Generals on the same day and life continues. Salvar Kiir tried it in South Sudan and you know what happened. He had no government the next day,” he argued. But Mirundi also said the way Kayihura was discarded might discourage many other hard working cadres because “it shows that Museveni’s system is ungrateful as it uses and dumps people.”
PRAISES SABIITI/ATTACKS TUMWINE:
Mirundi, who worked in State House for long, praised new IGP Brig Mzee Sabiiti saying: “I know him very well and thieves in police should pack their bags and leave because the Sabiiti I know won’t spare any of them. He is very decisive, hardworking, incorruptible and no-nonsense. You can’t hide your inefficiency by calling yourself a cadre. For him its work and work only.” Mirundi, who was one time picked up from his home by Brig Sabiiti, went on to do the new Police boss’ bidding by saying: “He [Sabiiti] is the IGP of the future just like Ruto is in Kenya the Vice President of the future and not like your Sekandi who is Vice President for now. In fact since two previous IGPs have been Generals even Sabiiti should be elevated to General so that he matches his predecessors Katumba Wamala and Kale Kayihura.” Mirundi advised criminal-minded Directors and other bosses in Police to seek for amnesty and ask for early retirement because the Sabiiti he knows won’t hesitate cracking the whip on them.
As for the new Security Minister Elly Tumwine, Mirundi said his appointment shows that Museveni is determined to ensure the Chiwenga-like situation that ousted Robert Mugabe in Zimbabwe doesn’t happen to him in Uganda. “Besides that, I don’t see how Gen Tumwine is going to excel in that ministry. It’s a ministry that must have money and that is how Jim Muhwezi and Tumukunde in the past years excelled in intelligence gathering. They had the money and generously gave it out because these days you have to pay for information but Tumwine is too religious [alimu olulokole-lokole lungi] and he is too stingy-not wanting to part with money. He won’t manage making any improvements in that Ministry. That is my bet.” While demonizing Gen Andrew Gutti, whose court martial is prosecuting his friend Abdul Kitata, Mirundi maintained that “Gen Kayihura is still very powerful.” For comments, call/text/whatsapp us on 0703164755
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