DETAILS: Why President Museveni Decided to Sack ISO Boss Kaka Bagyenda

Internal Security Organisation (ISO) Boss Frank ‘Kaka’ Bagyenda has been sacked, we can confirm. According to preliminary reports, Charles Oluka is set to replace him and he will be deputised by Emma Katabaazi.

According to security analysts and observers, the development comes amid a widening rift in the spy agency, with some sources saying that he was sacked because of the rising allegations of extortion, robbery and internal bickering.

“[Kaka’s firing] follows after President Museveni sent Special Forces Command (SFC) soldiers to open his (Kaka’s) safe houses and to release the victims of his torture leading to a shootout! Kaka has also been fabricating intelligence, polluting the air.” Veteran Journalist Andrew Mwenda said.

The raid by Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI) on several ISO safe houses in Kampala in July surprised many but also signalled that Kaka had a big fight for survival on his hands with higher forces probably fed up or rattled by his methods of work.

His (Kaka’s) worst contribution to our intelligence system was to destroy whatever good that had been built in ISO, and then running torture chambers euphemistically called safe houses where he brutalized his victims with the barbarity of Idi Amin’s goons. But all is well that ends well.

Mwenda

Multiple sources say ISO has authored some controversial reports that accused some big military big shots of working against President Museveni.

“Kaka’s intelligence reports to the President had become toxic, in one of them even alleging first son, Lt. Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba was plotting with the First Lady Janet Museveni to overthrow government! His reports on Rwanda went to similar extremes of fabrications that made peace impossible to craft!” Mwenda added.

In 2019, lawyers under their umbrella body, the Uganda Law Society (ULS) accused Kaka of arresting, detaining and torturing citizens and usurping the powers of other security agencies and acting outside the law.

During a media conference, then ULS president Simon Peter Kinobe said Kaka had taken over the role of other security agencies and turned ISO into a clearing agency for wealthy individuals to the detriment of regular citizens.