Kayihura was a good person who accepted to be used - Besigye

Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) strongman Dr.Kizza Besigye has described former IGP Gen.Kale Kayihura as a good hearted person only to be destroyed by accepting to be used.

On Sunday, President Museveni dropped Kayihura as replaced him with his Deputy Martin Okoth Ochola as police boss.

Speaking at a news conference on Tuesday at his offices along Katonga road in Nakasero, Besigye compared Kayihura to the late Noble Mayombo.

"I knew him before he became a soldier and later a tool of repression. He is not a bad person. He is like Mayombo,"Besigye said.

The opposition strongman however said that despite being good people,both Kayihura and Mayombo ruined themselves by accepting to be used by Museveni to advance his own selfish interests.

"They were good people who offered themselves to be used and offer themselves as creatures. He (Kayihura) chose to be a sycophant and a patron for Museveni."

"He(Kayihura) became a schemer and a political broker."

According to Besigye,despite having been used,Kayihura is culpable for his actions for failure to refuse orders.

"He should have refused and resigned,"he noted.

Besigye explained that when the current government took power,it chose to consolidate the power through coercion  and patronage, a thing he said will continue for many years.

He cited security institutions he said no longer serve the interests of the country but rather one individual.

"You cannot talk of professionalising the police when the professional officers in the force are frustrated by others in the same force."

Former Old Kampala and Buyende  DPC ASP Muhammad Kirumira is battling a number of charges in the police court that he says are because of witch-hunt from some of the big wigs in the force.

Besigye said that such  professional officers like Kirumira on many occasions become frustrated in the work of the force.

On Sunday, Museveni also appointed Brig.Muzeeyi Sabiiti,the military police commander as the deputy Inspector General of Police,but according to  Besigye such was a clear manifestation that the police force can never be professionalized.

"There cannot be hope of professionalising the police by bringing a young SFC cadres to manage the force,"Besigye said.

He wondered why president Museveni did not groom police officers to take up the role of Deputy IGP instead of deploying soldiers in that position.

"Training of the army and police are different but Museveni didn't look at it that way. He looked at Sabiiti as the only person to serve his interests in police.I don't see him different from Kayihura."

He however said the new police boss will not achieve anything in regards to improving  the force's image .

"He will try so much to prove that he can be trusted and in the end be like the former ."

He said if police wants to change,they are welcome for advice from the opposition.

Tumukunde a visitor

Besigye scoffed at the former security minister Lt.Gen.Henry Tumukunde who was also shown the exit.

He said it was unfortunate that Tumukunde's tenure did not last long.

"He was a brief visitor of the government."