Kazini fired, aronda army commander

Jun 06, 2003

PRESIDENT Yoweri Museveni has promoted Brigadier Aronda Nyakairima to Major General and named him Army Commander. He replaces Major General James Kazini in changes that have affected the military and intelligence organs.

By Grace Matsiko

PRESIDENT Yoweri Museveni has promoted Brigadier Aronda Nyakairima to Major General and named him Army Commander. He replaces Major General James Kazini in changes that have affected the military and intelligence organs.

Long-serving Internal Security Organisation (ISO) chief, Brig. Henry Tumukunde, was dropped and replaced by Col. Elly Kayanja, who has been his deputy.

ISO’s senior director in charge of field operations, Dr. Amos Mukumbi, a veterinary doctor and an ISO founder staff in 1986, is the new deputy director general.

The former 2nd Division commander and liaison officer in charge of the West Nile sector on the Uganda-Congo boarder, Col. Peter Kerim, was appointed deputy director general of the External Security Organisation (ESO) in charge of Congo matters.

He deputises David Pulkol. Aronda was until Thursday evening in charge of Operation Iron Fist, an offensive against the Lord’s Resistance Army rebels of Joseph Kony.

Army spokesman Maj. Shaban Bantariza said the changes were communicated to Bombo military headquarters at midnight.
He said Kazini and Tumukunde are to go for courses abroad at war colleges yet to be named.

“The Commander-in-Chief in his communication asked the Minister for Defence to link up with him on the choice of the college or colleges. These changes were made as part and parcel of the modernisation of the army. That’s why two generals were sent to the War College,” Bantariza said.

State House sources said, “All the appointments are in acting capacities but acting positions are as well as confirmations.”
The sources said the President expects to make further changes.

Kazini and Kerim are among senior UPDF officers accused in a United Nations report of plundering natural resources from Congo. A subsequent Porter Commission set up by the Government recommended that Kazini be prosecuted for his alleged involvement in the looting.

Aronda, said to be a born-again Christian, was once the commander of the Armoured Brigade based in Masaka.
He also headed the then Directorate of Military Intelligence.

Kerim has not been deployed since he was dropped as the Second Division commander after he was implicated in the disappearance of trucks belonging to a Congolese businessman.

He resorted to petty business in his hometown, Nebbi. Sources said Kayanja’s elevation was expected following his star performance in curbing crime as head of Operation Wembley.

Aronda is the sixth Army Commander since Museveni took office in 1986.

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