I am careful on Kayihura talk, says Gen. Odongo

Internal affairs minister, Gen. Jeje Odongo dodged the questions about the arrest of Gen. Kale Kayihura, running short of saying the former IGP was not under arrest He says the talk about his arrest was premature.

The minister maintained that there was no harm in summoning a senior military officer if there is a prima facie case against him.

"I am always careful because to prematurely talk about it could be misconstrued," said Odongo at a meeting with journalists to discuss the state the national security situation.

Kayihura, who served as IGP from 2005 until he was replaced on March 15, was picked from his home in Kashagama, Lyantonde district and flown to Kampala about a week ago.

He has reportedly been interviewed by the top army leadership at Makindye Military barracks but it remains unclear whether any charges have been brought against him.

Some reports have linked Kayihura's detention to indiscretions by the Police in which several officers have been implicated in a wave of crimes, including unlawful repatriation of refugees.

Gen. Odongo, whose ministry supervises the work of the Uganda Police Force, declined to comment on the matter but said government was embracing new measures to fight against complex crimes.

Last year, President Yoweri Museveni vowed to purge criminal elements from Police saying the force had been infiltrated by ‘weevils.'

A number of Kayihura's aides and junior police officers who worked under his supervision have since been arrested in connection with various offenses.

They include, among others, Nixon Agasirwe, Joel Aguma; the former head of crime intelligence, Lt. Ndahura Atwoki; former cyber intelligence chief Richard Ndaboine; his former personal assistant, Jonathan Baroza; former Kampala South Regional Police commander, Siraje Bakaleke and former commander of Police Flying Squad, Herbert Muhangi.