Gen Muhoozi happens to be the son of the President.
The word on the grapevine from the US embassy is their staff were caught flat-footed, clueless about the CDF’s cryptic statements, which demanded immediate action in less than 72 hours.
By press time, Mr. Popp had zipped lips on the whole drama, and no peep came from the officials in Kampala either.
“We’re trying to untangle the mess,” shared a source from the scene.
The mission apparently fired a concerned missive to the Foreign Affairs ministry, but as Friday bid adieu, no response was on the horizon.
Matthew Miller, the Department of State’s spokesperson, enlightened this publication, revealing that the United States stands as Uganda’s OG international amigo, with ties stretching over a solid six decades.
“Nearly a cool billion—about Ush3.7 trillion—props up local institutions, boosting Ugandan lives daily in health, education, and prosperity. The embassy, our Ambassador, and Uncle Sam’s government keep the convo lively with Ugandan platoons on a full plate of issues,” he conveyed to The EastAfrican.
“With US law as our guidebook, we back justice for victims and uphold accountability for those tangled in human rights violations globally. This sometimes means shutting the door on US travel visas for suspected violators. As pals, we stick to an open and honest chat with Ugandan authorities around human rights protection, as cemented in the Ugandan Constitution and worldwide agreements,” his statement added.
In September 2023, Mr. Popp stepped in as the new US ambassador to Uganda, stepping into the shoes of Natalie Brown.
What’s the hubbub?
Some Ugandan insiders, asking for anonymity, whisper the ruckus might be linked to US sanctions laid on four police bigwigs this week. They say Elly Womanya, the top dog, rubs elbows with the general.
On a Wednesday, the US Department of State dropped the hammer, issuing travel sanctions on four officers in Uganda’s police brigade amid allegations of harsh breaches of human rights, including torture and degrading treatment.
Matthew Miller named names: Bob Kagarura, former leader at Wamala Regional Police HQ; Alex Mwine, ex-District Commander in Mityana, not far from Kampala; Womanya, once a high-ranking Deputy at UPF’s Criminal Intelligence; and Hamdani Twesigye, ex-Deputy Inspector of Police at SIU.
These new sanctions pile up more names on Uncle Sam’s naughty list, joining former Inspector General of Police Gen Kale Kayihura, Maj-Gen Abel Kanduho, the former head of the Military Police, and Johnson Byabashaija, who helms Uganda Prisons.
Even Speaker Anita Among, her hubby Moses Magogo, and Karamoja’s chief Gorret Kitutu didn’t dodge the sanctions bullet, along with minister Amos Lugolobi.
The drama didn’t stop there; weeks earlier, the UK slapped its own travel restrictions and asset freezes on Among, Kitutu, and minister Nandutu over iron sheet shenanigans.
Minister Henry Okello Oryem, Uganda’s International Affairs guru, labeled the US sanctions as a solo act.
“Typical American strut—big cheese throwing their weight to lord over the little guys,” he said.
Rights heavy stuff
Livingstone Sewanyana from the Foundation for Human Rights Initiative shook his head, noting that the transgressions keep rolling despite these sanctions.
“Folks are roped into waiting cars, disappearing into thin air. It’s prime time for the government to fix its rights issues,” he declared.
Police, however, stand unfazed, claiming their gears and cogs are tuned to handle bad apples within their ranks, leaving the sanctions powerless to meddle.
Police spokesperson Rusoke Kituuma shared that their Professional Standards Unit stays on top of human rights mishaps with an iron glove.
“Discipline is our dance, and dealing with rights within the force is our jam,” he stated clearly.
Edited by: Ali Musa
Axadle international–Monitoring
