Why Katabazi was knifed from ISO

It sounded like a fool’s day joke as news filtered in that the flamboyant Col. Emmy Katabazi had been dropped from his position as Ag director general of Internal Security Organization (ISO)

Col. Katabazi deputized late Brig. Charles Oluka who died early this year after a short illness.

Our classified sources note that Katabazi, who has been sent to undisclosed Foreign Service unit, did not work well with the late Oluka.

MBABAZI LINKS

Katabazi, hitherto worked as an aide to former Prime Minister, Amama Mbabazi was seen by many colleagues at the spy house as not very loyal to the system.

They further argue that his promotion from Lt to Colonel and appointment to the big office was not based on meritocracy but mere political settlement between President Museveni and Mbabazi.

It should be noted that before his appointment, he had been in detention in Makindye military barracks for six months on charges of insubordination

“He did not merit the promotion to deputise ISO boss after his failed mission with Mbabazi to unseat President Museveni in 2016. His colleagues saw it as a sort of compromise to mend fences after the failed bid. His former boss, Mbabazi was resettled and so were his cadres,” one source told us.

So in Katabazi, it was a politician doing sort of intelligence work to keep him around.

Also worth noting, Katabazi was the nemesis of the current security minister, Maj. Gen. Jim Muhwezi since he was in the Mbabazi camp. Secuity Minister is the immediate supervisor of ISO bosses and they fall under his docket in the president’s office.

Source further say Katabazi had not done serious training in intelligence, he only boasts a mere basic military training.

His former boss, the late Brig. Gen. Oluka was doing donkey work and covering up for him in terms of information processing, however, his death left the king ‘naked’ and exposed.

Observers noted that Katabazi turned into a political spy with a convoy of three vehicles with men armed to the teeth and sirens like there was an earthquake and ambulances rushing victims to the hospital. Was that a spy? He lived a very pompous and flashy lifestyle roaming different hotels and social events yet as a spy, he was supped to live undercover like his predecessor the late Oluka. This could have annoyed the appointing authority.

POLITICS AND WIFE

Intelligence reports also pinned Katabazi for spending huge sums of money on his wife Jackline Katabazi who is planning to unseat Rubanda Woman MP, Prossy Akampurira Mbabazi.

It is reported that ISO has been funding her drives to the tune of UGX 10m per event and announced on the microphone.

He was reportedly planning to field religious leaning candidates in all constituencies of Kigezi sub-region including another relative believed to be his son for Western Youth parliamentary position. His enemies, according to our sources, used this sectarian tendency to do bad reports about him to the appointing authority.

KAWEMPE POLLS

The last stroke that broke the camel’s back was the reported uncoordinated intelligence information shared during the concluded Kawempe North by-elections where the ruling National Resistance Movement candidate, Nambi Farida Kigongo was badly defeated by National Unity Platform’s Erias Luyimbazi Nulokoola.

Reports indicate ISO splashed a lot of money in the polls after convincing the president that they would deliver but the outcome was embarrassing. In fact the president quizzed Katabazi after the polls.

“After the Kawempe Polls outcome, Katabazi new his fate had been sealed,” the source said.

Enter civilian Arthur Mugyenyi

Not much is known about Mugyenyi who was among the study groups at Makerere University in mid 1990s. Those groups were always addressed by senior army officers and produced the likes of Maj. Gen. Sabiti Magyenyi, Brig. Johnson Namanya, Col. Sam Ntambirwe, Col. Stuart Agaba, Colonels: Ogumelaki, Tumuhimbise,Owamagyezi and many others who had been recruited to join the defunct Special Revenue Protections Services under the then, Col.Kale Kayihura.

It is not clear why Mugyenyi, despite training with the group, was not commissioned.

He has reportedly been handling covet operations under the office of Special Presidential Advisor on Special Operations or sometimes directly from the commander in chief.

Mugyenyi was born in 1972 and hails from Kiruhura district.

Mugyenyi is very familiar with the workings of the CDF/SPA Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba who is reported to have had a big hand in his appointment to the top spy job.

His deputy, Tony Kinyera Apecu born in 1977 in Nebbi is a career intelligence operative who has risen through ranks especially through the office of director of collections.

There is no doubt that the new boss would have given a no objection to his name in case he was asked by the appointing authority.