Museveni salutes Kayihura over crime preventers

PIC: President Museveni arriving at Lugogo sports arena in Kampala. (Credit: Eddie Ssejjoba)

CRIME | PREVENTION

KAMPALA - President Yoweri Museveni has saluted the former Inspector General of Police, Gen. Kale Kayihura, for actively implementing the project of crime preventers in the country.

Museveni, who was today addressing the National Crime Preventers Forum at Lugogo sports arena in Kampala, also described Kayihura as a "loyal cadre" who he said, actively implemented the idea of forming a critical mass of crime preventers in the country.

"The strategy of crime preventers is not a strategy of Kale Kayihura. It is a strategy of the National Resistance Army (NRA). Therefore, anybody who had an idea that this was a Kale Kayihura project, please get it out of your head," Museveni said.

The President added: "However, I want to salute Gen. Kale Kayihura because he actively implemented it. He is a loyal cadre who actively implemented the programme when he was in the Police."

Crime preventers cheering Museveni during the event. (Credit: Eddie Ssejjoba)

In March, Museveni replaced Kayihura with Okoth Ochola as the IGP and also appointed Brig. Muzeyi Sabiti as the deputy IGP. Security Minister, Lt. Gen. Henry Tumukunde was also replaced with the army MP, Gen. Elly Tumwine.

In his address to crime preventers, Museveni said when he read in print media reports that the new IGP, Okoth, was going to determine the fate of the now 12 million crime preventers in the country, he called him on phone  and said: ‘please, this is not your problem.'

The President's emphasis that crime prevention is a wider strategic project that should be reserved in the country's security system was applauded by the co-ordinators of crime preventers in the country at the meeting.