Police officially declares former IGP Kayihura aide Baroza, deserter

The Police have officially declared Assistant Commissioner of Police, Jonathan Baroza, the former aide to the jailed former Inspector General of Police Gen.Kale Kayihura, as a deserter.

Baroza was in 2017 sent to Algeria as the police liaison officer in charge of International Police in the North African country for Uganda police but in June, he absconded from duty. On July 16, police issued a seven day ultimatum for him to return report to his duty station in Algeria.

“DPC Mbarara is requested to check for him at the home of Kabiguruka Yovas of Karora village, Rugando sub county , Mbarara district and advise the same to report back to his duty station by July ,22 ,2018 or else be declared as a deserter,” read the police message.

However, another message has been issued to all police units informing them that Baroza is officially declared a deserter from the Uganda police force.

“ACP Jonathan Baroza reported away without official leave by Director Interpol and International Relations is hereby declared a deserter,” reads in part the message dated July 25.

“If seen, he should be arrested and director Interpol or his headquarters be informed for collection.”

In the message, the Director Criminal Investigations Division has been ordered to open a desertion file against Baroza pending his arrest.

Last week, the Inspector General of Police Martin Okoth Ochola revealed that police were looking for Baroza in every nook and cranny.

When asked why police were searching for him from his home area in Mbarara, Ochola described it as casting the net wide for getting Baroza.

“Mbarara is part of the world and the search is casting the net wide to have him arrested,”Ochola said during the release of the police crime report for 2017 at Naguru.

“If he abandons his duty station we need to look for him. We can as well search for him in Tororo(Ochola’s home district).”

Since the arrest of Kayihura and a number of his cronies by the Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI), Baroza has been on the run.

Last month, reports indicated that operatives from CMI and the Internal Security Organisation (ISO) were hunting for him.

Earlier reports had said that he had been arrested in the swoop by the army and that he was being returned home but this turned out not to be true.

A number of senior police and army officers believed to be close to Gen.Kayihura were a month ago arrested by the army before being detained at Makindye over a number of offences that the army has kept a secret.

Among those arrested included the former cyber-crime head Richard Ndaboine, former crime intelligence director Col Ndahura Atwooki, the former Flying Squad commander Herbert Muhangi, former Professional Standards Unit Commander Good Mwesigwa and Lt Col Peter Musherure, the former deputy police director of crime intelligence among others.

All of them, apart from Col Ndahura, have never been arraigned in any court to be formally charged of any offence.