Highly placed close credible sources to former Inspector General of Police Gen Edward Kale Kayihura have revealed that he has started working on the special assignment given to him by his longtime boss President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni to deliver the National Resistance Movement (NRM) victory come 2026.
The assignment was officially announced to Kayihura infront of his immediate family members in the meeting with Museveni at Rwakitura during the 2024 charismas festive season.
“During the special visit, Museveni had a lengthy one-on-one meeting with Kayihura,” the top General narrated to us how KK thanked the president for pardoning him following his 2018 arrest and detention over a series of charges which included; failure to protect war materials, failure to supervise police officers, and abetting kidnap.
“He also thanked the president for the financial support he extended to him that among others covered his medical treatment in Turkey, after having complications with his stomach which started when he was still serving in police. During that time, he was receiving medication from Norvic hospital along Bombo Road. However, because of the stress, his health situation deteriorated shortly after his release from detention” another source said.
Various independent sources disclosed to this website that when meeting the President, Kayihura travelled with his wife, son and daughter.
They thanked the president for giving them a financial hand after their father was dismissed from police command.
It should be remembered that the President bought for Kale and his family a house in Kira Division and a new car plus gave them security.
Sources said that even though Gen Kayihura was in charge of a huge budget when he was still commanding police, he didn’t use the classified money for personal benefit and it is one of the reasons Museveni pardoned him insisting that Kayihura exhibited a high level of patriotism.
Sources added that Museveni, Kayihura meeting was at the request of Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba the Chief of Defense Forces and also the Senior Presidential Advisor on Special Operation after Kayihura was shortlisted by Museveni to head a special team which will lead his 2026 presidential re-election campaigns.
Sources said that all those benefits from Museveni to Kayihura were lobbied by Gen. Muhoozi adding that it was on the same background that Muhoozi requested Museveni to meet a rehabilitated Kayihura during the Christmas holiday.
Muhoozi also suggested to Museveni that Kayihura is still a loyal and committed cadre who has all it takes to head his re-election campaign after it was established that most of the intelligence reports made by former Director General of the Internal Security Organisation (ISO) Col. Frank Bagyenda Kaka on Kayihura were fake.
Other State House sources said that even though Muhoozi did a lot of lobbying, Museveni took his time while consulting over other nominees including former security Minister Lt. Gen. Henry Tumukunde, former Prime Minister John Patrick Amama Mbabazi, Hajjat Uzeyi Namyako the head of the NRM national chairperson office at Kyambogo among others.
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Sources revealed that Museveni also made his consultation within NRM top leadership and among those consulted include; the national vice chairman of NRM party, Al hajji Moses Kigongo, NRM national vice chairperson in charge of Eastern Uganda Capt Mike Mukula among others.
“I’m told that Kigongo expressed frustrations with the other NRM official whom he had hoped would lead Museveni’s re-election campaigns. He also had reservations on concerning the current leadership at the NRM secretariat leading Museveni’s campaigns,”, a source said.
In light of Kigongo’s frustrations, Museveni found it agreeable that a rehabilitated Kayihura should be given the assignment for the task to battle youthful National Unity Platform’s Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu (Bobi Wine) who has already declared his interest to stand for President come 2026.
Sources said that Kayihura started by rehabilitating his grassroot cadres in Western Uganda especially in Kisoro and Kabale who he recruited when he was still in service and he has been meeting them in different hotels and to strategise.
The recent meeting was held in Igongo Hotel.
Kayihura’s team has also started meeting his recruited supporters in markets, taxi drivers and boda-boda cyclists to prepare them for the coming task even though many are still living in fear after the tough times they had to endure when he was dismissed from police and some of them were placed on intelligence radar over allegations of being involved in plans to overthrow the Museveni government.
