Following the reshuffle, Radio katwe launched a three-month investigation to establish why the President’s blue-eyed military boy was relieved of the sensitive military intelligence docket.
The transfer raised concerns in some circles and was thought to be a kind of demotion.
Our investigations indicate that Museveni wanted to revamp the crucial installation involved in manufacture of classified defence equipment.
Like any defence industries worldwide, this is a strategic facility.
From a national security
perspective and to ensure appropriate sovereignty each country needs
such capacity for self reliance, research and development into new
weapon systems to address emerging threats and to guard against threats.
They include sanctions, arms embargoes against the regime or even effects of instability from neighbours such as Kenya.
It’s important to note that Uganda is a land locked country.
The
geopolitical position of the country is an essential point considering
that in case war broke out leading to the destruction of infrastructure
along Jinja highway, Uganda would pay through the nose to receive
military supplies by air.
So it was paramount to appoint a trusted military chief to oversee manufacture of modern weapons at the Luweero industries.
We
have also established that Luwero Industries has been selected by the
East African Community under the Defence Cooperation as one of the
facilities to be shared by the region and therefore has to be put to
modern standards.
The facility had been run down and required total revamping hence need for good leadership.
SENSITIVE
Our impeccable security sources say this is the third most strategic office where a senior military officer has been deployed.
The
first was Police where it was felt things were not going well and Lt
Gen Katumba was deployed there followed by Lt. Gen. Kale Kayihura as the
Inspector General of Police.
The
second was the appointment of Brig. Noble Mayombo as Permanent
Secretary, Ministry of Defence and the third being the deployment of
Brig. Mugira as Managing Director of Luweero Industries.
Apart
from Command functions, there are two offices considered strategic in
the Ministry of defence which have to be occupied by trusted cadres
The
first one is Defense Permanent Secretary- currently occupied by
Rossette Byengoma whose contract has recently been renewed (formerly
occupied by Late Brig Noble Mayombo and where Brig Mugira had been
widely expected to be deployed since Mayombos death.)
Before
the deployment of late Mayombo as Permanent Secretary, there was a
feeling that a Senior Military officer and cadre would best serve in
that position.
The
second is leadership of Luweero industries – formerly headed by
Jacqueline Mbabazi, a historical member of the NRA struggle and wife of
the Premier Amama Mbabazi.
It’s
important to note that Mbabazi had succeeded Capt. Innocent Bisangwa,
formerly Private Secretary to President Museveni in charge of Security
and Defence matters (who was by coincidence replaced by Brig Mugira at
State House as Private Secretary when Bisangwa got problems and was
arrested in the USA for involvement in purchase of TOW missiles).
Investigations indicate that both the Permanent Secretary and MD Luwero Industries report directly to the President”
SFG OFFICE PAIRED WITH MUGIRA
We
have also established that at Luweero Industries, Brig Mugira has been
paired with Maj. Johnson Namanya, formerly Acting Commander of the
Special Forces Group. Namanya is also the President’s most trusted
officer who had just returned from a course in United Kingdom and has
now been promoted to Lieutenant Colonel.
On Relations with Rwanda
The
transfer of Mugira to Luweero Industries triggered a huge public debate
and media speculation that the military intelligence officer had been
transferred for his alleged connections with Rwanda renegade general
Kayumba Nyamwasa and Col. Patrick Karegeya.
Therefore,
according to media reports, in a bid to appease President Paul Kagame,
the Ugandan leader decided to ‘sacrifice’ Mugira – who was reportedly in
touch with the exiled Rwanda generals plotting to remove the Rwandan
leader from power.
However, our investigations indicate that Brig. Mugira is one of the few senior UPDF officers highly respected by officers of the Rwanda Army.
“Mugira
worked hard to restore Uganda/ Rwanda relations right from the time he
headed the Uganda team on the Joint Uganda/Rwanda Investigations and
Verification Committee brokered by Rt Hon Claire Short (His counterpart
on the Rwanda side was Colonel now Lt Gen Charles Kayonga now the Chief
of Defence Forces) and later as Chief of Military Intelligence,” a
reliable source confirmed.
“Mugira used both his official
position and his personal relationship with a number of senior officers
both in Government and the Rwanda Defence Forces to restore relations
between the two countries after the Kisangani clashes,” the military
source, who has known Mugira since the NRA war days, recounts.
Mugira
was at school with many of the senior officers in the Rwanda Army and
worked with them, including President Kagame at Basiima House
headquarters of NRA Directorate of Military Intelligence.
This was shortly after NRA captured power in 1986.
At the much publicized President Museveni’s visit to Rwanda last year to mend relations with President Kagame, Brig Mugira is the only senior military officer who accompanied the President.
Mugira
was photographed in company of Rwanda Defence Minister Gen. James
Kabareebe, Gen. Kayonga and Jack Nziza. The officers from the two
countries were spotted smiling and cracking jokes.
ADF
But
our research now shows that during Mugira’s three year term as the CMI,
there was no attack by the ADF because of the intelligence counter
measures that were put in place including establishing a Joint
Intelligence Centre at Beni where UPDF officers under Maj Muwonge were
deployed.
Mugira
did not only coordinate efforts for the establishment of the base but
also another East African Defence Counter terrorism Centre based in
Nairobi where Jamil Mukulu, the leader of ADF, was planning all his
activities. Maj Muwonge has since been deployed to the Nairobi office.
Mugira
also coordinated operations between Uganda troops and DRC authorities
that staved off ADF plans to attack western Uganda from Congo.
SHINNING STAR
Despite living a low-profile, Mugira turned around the image of the once dreaded CMI under then Col. Leopold Kyanda.
The facilities were rotting away, military operatives were involved in extortion and agents’ salaries were always swindled.
As
soon as he was transferred from Masaka Mechanized Brigade, Mugira
immediately gave orders that all CMI and JATT officers must get out of
the bed with the press and media.
There
had previously been very negative press reports about CMI and JATT of
safe houses, crocodiles, torture, extortion etc which the opposition
used to discredit Government.
“In
a bid to restore public confidence and improve the facility’s human
rights record, Mugira transferred all the officers named in various
scandals and built a professional team at CMI,” a source who preferred
anonymity said.
Mugira
restored espirit de corps among staff and instilled discipline in
officers and men of CMI. During his reign, CMI never had any scandals
like those of Black Mamba and the Human Rights Watch Report which came
out after he assumed office was covering incidents before he went there.
He was also credited for having caused promotion of many officers at the CMI who had stayed on the same rank for a long time.
In fact officers at CMI wept when they got information that Mugira would be transferred to Luweero Industries.
Mugira
was also responsible for building the state of the art CMI headquarters
at Mbuya which was commissioned by the President. There is no such
facility in the entire Ministry of Defence/UPDF.
It’s
said the facility has super electronic capabilities capable of
detecting suspicious troop movement in a foreign county. Such
intelligence would allow Uganda to rapidly prepare her forces to defend
her sovereignty.
TERROR SUSPECTS SAGA
Mugira
also played a key role in the arrest in record time of the 7/11 terror
suspects although this almost brought him on a collision path with Lt
Gen Kayihura.
Shortly
after arresting and interrogating all the terrorists, Mugira telephoned
Kayihura, saying he would parade them before the media to tell Ugandans
how they masterminded the attacks at Kyaddondo and Ethiopian Village
Restaurant in Kampala.
However,
according to information obtained, Kayihura was attending a security
meeting and could therefore not pick the phone call.
Mugira
then sent a text message. Because of his tight schedule, Kayihura did
not read the message concerning the planned parading of terror suspects
at then CMI headquarters in Kitante.
Considering
that police and CMI were both under pressure by human rights
organizations to parade the suspects in court, the heads of these
institutions ended up holding parallel press conferences on the same
day.
In
fact after the terror attacks, Mugira encouraged Kayihura to send a
team of counter terror detectives from police to CMI for information
sharing thus arrest of the terrorists.
Mugira
is also well remembered for neutralizing rebel groups that were
propping up like PPF (associated with Norbert Mao one time) and the
Lawrence Kiwanuka group.
“Mugira
established good and close working relationships with sister security
agencies of ESO and ISO. Previously, there had been poor working
relations,” recounts a source who worked under Mugira at CMI.
Who is Mugira?
He
is a lawyer by profession with first class honours Degree-LLB
(Makerere); Master of Laws in International Business Law-LLM (University
of Manchester) and Master of Arts in International Affairs (Legon
University Ghana).
Having
joined NRA in its early stages of its struggle from Kasese, Mugira has a
Diploma in Legal Practice from the Law Development Centre (LDC) where
he was awarded the Attorney Generals Prize and is an Advocate of the
High Court of Uganda.
He
is a graduate of the prestigious Monduli Military Academy, Tanzania and
the Ghana Senior Command and Staff College in addition to a number of
military intelligence academies in U.K and USA
Those who have worked closely under him say Mugira is a no-nonsense officer.
“He
is said to be a strict disciplinarian and strict time keeper. He is a
reserved down to earth officer who prefers to keep a low profile,” the
source notes.
Mugira is a son to George Wilson Kaguhangire of Rushere, Kiruhura (a retired teacher and magistrate).
He previously worked as Private Secretary to the President and Commander of the Armoured Brigade based in Masaka among others
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