Uganda’s biggest opposition political party, the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), has demanded that an independent commission is set up to investigate Gen. Kale Kayihura, the former Inspector General of Police who is currently in military detention.
While addressing journalists at the party headquarters in Najjanankumbi, FDC spokesman, Ibrahim Semujju Nganda, the Member of Parliament for Kira Municipality said that Kayihura’s tenure as IGP that spanned 13 years was synonymous with gross human rights violations that ought to be thoroughly investigated and victims compensated.
“We feel that the government does not have the power to thoroughly investigate and get to the bottom of these violations considering that they sanctioned some of them. So we’re calling for an independent judicial commision to investigate Kayihura and his police force at large,” he said.
The FDC has been at the receiving end of Kayihura-led police brutality that featured teargas, live ammunition, forceful detentions, inappropriate handling of women and creation of mini-police stations at the homes of opposition leaders such as Dr Kiiza Besigye, the party’s 2016 presidential flag bearer, and founding president.
Kayihura also opened supported a defacto militia known as boda-boda 2010 that ran riot beating and injuring several people in Kampala whenever the FDC help demonstrations or processions deemed as unlawful.
FDC’s plea comes at the time when Kayihura’s the lawyers are being denied access to their client and also when the tenure of the current chairman of the General Court Martial – a court where serving military officers are tried – Lt. Gen Andrew Guti has expired pending renewal or appointment of a new chairperson by President Yoweri Museveni this week.