CCTVs, Dubai Investors and UPDF Choppers: How Museveni, Henry Tumukunde Fell Out

In September 2015, President Museveni surprised Uganda when he promoted controversial army officer, Brigadier Henry Tumukunde to the rank of Lieutenant General.

Museveni enabled Tumukunde skip the rank of Major General, a move that was not only aimed at reconciling with the former spy chief but also woo him to his side.

At the time, the former Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi, had indicated plans to contest for presidency and Tumukunde had expressed determination to support the former premier to unseat Museveni.

Museveni was determined to weaken the more powerful among Mbabazi’s ranks.

Mbabazi’s lower campaign structures had been debilitated by security through infiltration, defections and the ICT wing raided in broad day light.

Museveni knew very well that the favour he was giving Tumukunde, who had spent years under house arrest after being charged before the military courts, would not cause great personage for the latter to forget the old injuries.

In politics, there no perfect courses; prudence consists in choosing the least dangerous ones.

In wooing Tumukunde, the President needed to deny Mbabazi’s campaign a military outlook which could give an impression that sections of the army were behind the former premier’s presidential candidature.

Museveni could not rest until he ruined Mbabazi’s campaign strategy.

Oil and gas training

ChimpReports has learned that Tumukunde had earlier reached out to Museveni, requesting for a sponsorship to undertake a Master’s degree in Oil and Gas Management at the Graduate Institute of Geneva in 2013.

Museveni authorised the release of funds for this cause.

On learning that Tumukunde was planning to help Mbabazi in mobilisation, Museveni moved in swiftly.

Interestingly, according to an official who worked on Mbabazi’s campaign strategy desk, the former premier held several meetings with Tumukunde but didn’t trust the latter.

“We knew Tumukunde had just received a state sponsorship for an oil course,” recalled a senior official on Mbabazi’s campaign desk, “There was no way we could bank on his word. We looked at him with suspicion – that he wanted to steal our secrets.”

Mbabazi, also a former spy, has a record of looking at things as they really are, not as he wishes them to be.

With a cold shoulder in Mbabazi’s camp, Tumukunde quietly returned to Museveni’s chest. That is how he was suddenly promoted and retired from the armed forces.

Ambitions

Like any other political animal, Tumukunde had his personal goals to fulfill.

“I campaigned for Museveni as a condition for getting my discharge from the army, and I happily saluted out; else I wouldn’t be here,” said Tumukunde this past weekend.

Tumukunde said he capitalized on the political panic within the establishment, when Mbabazi declared interest for presidency, to grab Museveni’s attention to retire him.

The system had for the past three elections been used to a two horse race between Museveni and another bush war hero, Dr. Kizza Besigye, since 2001.

“There was a state of panic when Mbabazi came out to contest. I reached to the president and he accepted my bargain,” said Tumukunde.

After the elections, Tumukunde was rewarded with a position of Security Minister.

This gave him an opportunity to access classified information since he was in charge of Internal Security Organisation (ISO) and External Security Organisation (ESO).

But a cautious Museveni entertained Tumukunde without augmenting his power.

Fall out

Officials say Tumukunde is a performer who will work for long hours.

During his reign as Security Minister, Tumukunde would leave his office at the president’s office at 1:00am.

He would meet people from all walks of life. Tumukunde had also set up spy networks across the country and regularly met these leaders.

As CMI boss, Tumukunde thwarted many potential terrorist attacks in Uganda.

He also managed to arrest hundreds of radicalized militants who had planned to destabilize the capital city.

But his failure to conceal his presidential ambitions; unrelenting fights with fellow security chiefs, untamed arrogance and formation of cliques unsettled the president who eventually got rid of him.

Muhakanizi

The first reason why Museveni fired Tumukunde was that the Security Minister was conspiring against Secretary of Treasury, Keith Muhakanizi; Jim Muhwezi and Bob Kabonero.

Tumukunde wrote dozens of reports, saying Finance Ministry officials were looting billions of shillings from the treasury.

He also forwarded a report to Museveni, saying hackers had transferred US$38 million to a foreign bank in China from the Ministry of Finance Integrated Financial Management System (IFMS) on instruction of Muhakanizi.

The report alleged that part of this money was meant to help the Muhwezis mobilise against Museveni. On thorough check, this was found to be false.

Museveni even gave Tumukunde’s team a green light to lay a trap for Muhakanizi and arrest him while picking a bribe. Muhakanizi didn’t fall for the trap.

ChimpReports understands that Museveni later discovered that the report was a hoax possibly initiated and supported by Tumukunde to destroy the Muhwezi and Muhakanizi families. The two families are close to Museveni.

Summons for a diplomat

During his reign as Security Minister, Tumukunde “summoned” a top diplomat for questioning about the Rwanda situation. Uganda’s relations with Rwanda had deteriorated.

The top diplomat, who is close to the First Family, snubbed the summons, saying Tumukunde should have instead politely asked for a meeting for a full briefing.

This conduct on the part of Tumukunde is said to have unsettled Museveni.

Military Choppers

An investigation by ChimpReports indicates that Museveni was also upset with Tumukunde for abusing state resources.

“You remember when he was a minister how he was abusing the military helicopters on every function?” said a senior government official who spoke on condition of anonymity to speak freely.

“He would fly army choppers to small events including baptism or give-away ceremonies.  This was impunity of the highest level.”

Tumukunde flew a chopper to Mbabazi’s campaign rally venue in Fortportal and other parts of western and southwestern Uganda.

“Even the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) doesn’t have the luxury of using a chopper to private functions. For Tumukunde, he had turned military choppers into private vehicles,” said the source, adding, “Museveni had to stop the splendor-loving officer.”

Dubai Investors

In his brief stint as Security Minister, Tumukunde was accused by several investors from Dubai of standing in the way of their planned investments in Uganda.

Tumukunde was reportedly threatening foreign investors and local ones.

His office even ordered banks to release all the transactions of Chinese businesses in Uganda, a move bankers rejected and reported to president Museveni.

From the accusations, Museveni got the impression and even investigated claims that Tumukunde was extorting money from many people including investors.

“Investors from Dubai reported Tumukunde to Museveni. These were generally dubious deals,” recalled a source, adding, “We didn’t know what the president discovered from the probe but he was really astonished by the weight of the accusations against his Security Minister.”

The accusations compelled Museveni to believe that Tumukunde was wielding too much power.

Museveni also feared that Tumukunde was trying to raise a huge financial war chest to further his presidential ambitons.

When the Security Minister refused to stop publicly attacking then IGP Gen Kale Kayihura, Museveni got the opportunity fired him.

Last straw

The last straw that broke Tumukunde’s back was the claim that he was using soldiers in business deals.

Tumukunde, who previously served as 4^th Division Commander, would direct soldiers to escort private businessmen with whom he cracked deals.

The President was also informed that the soldiers deployed by Tumukunde were involved in acts of extortion and threatening violence.

ISO, which Tumukunde was supervising, held the businessmen incommunicado at ‘safe houses’ in Kyengera.

These include businessman Simpson Birungi, the manufacturer of Movit products, who was held for months without trial.

It is alleged thugs in ISO demanded that Birungi pays Shs 1bn to secure his release, a condition he turned down.

CCTV cameras

This website has learned that Gen Tumukunde tried to interfere in the procurement of CCTV cameras amid a spike in crime.

The committee to procure the cameras was headed by president Museveni.

The members included Police ICT Director, Amos Ngabirano and Josephine Wapakabulo among others. During the procurement process, Tumukunde reportedly tried to block the project, angering the head-of-state.

Asked why Tumukunde, a military general and former spy chief had his guards removed from his premises by UPDF, a source observed: “He had actually spoilt soldiers, inciting them against the government and using abusive words against the Commander-in-chief.”