KAMPALA – Last week, Jonathan Baroza, the former personal assistant to Gen Kale Kayihura, had last week planned to travel to Kampala from Algeria where he has been working as a liaison officer at the African Union Mechanism for Police Cooperation (AFRIPOL) since last year.
However, at around the same time, news filtered in that he was facing arrest alongside other police officers purported to have abated crime within the police ranks under the leadership of Gen Kayihura.
In fact he is said to have already learnt of the arrest of some of his former colleagues Lt Col Peter Musherure, the former deputy police director of crime intelligence, Herbert Muhangi, the former police’s Flying Squad Unit commander, Senior Superintendent of Police and former cyber-crime head Richard Ndaboine, former crime intelligence director Col Ndahura Atwooki and a number of other high ranking police officers.
Baroza was tipped off by some of his colleagues that he would be arrested the moment he stepped foot on Entebbe airport. However, he had to travel for other AFRIPOL business to Kampala as has been the case.
Besides, security sources told this website, he had received orders, summoning to the police headquarters. He reportedly informed the police hierarchy that he is on the way to Kampala.
He is then said to have flown from Algiers to Istanbul where he was expected to take a connecting flight to Entebbe Airport. Military personnel drove to Entebbe International Airport to pick him only to discover that Baroza was not on board.
Since then, security agencies, including Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI) and the Internal Security Organisation operatives (ISO), have been hunting for him.
Security sources also believe that he may have deceived the security agencies and come to the country using other means. His whereabouts are yet unknown, but the sources say the combined force has intensified its search and will soon close in on him.
When contacted, Mr. Emilian Kayima, the police spokesperson, declined to divulge the details of the search for Baroza, saying they would issue a formal statement on the matter when ready.
Brigadier Abel Kandiho, the head of CMI, said they are still verifying the information about Baroza’s whereabouts.
Efforts to reach Baroza since late last week have been in vain as his known mobile phone was switched off.
Baroza is said to be wanted in connection with the murder of former police spokesman Andrew Felix Kaweesi
Following the murder, Baroza is said to have clashed with Fred Yiga, the chief political commissar, over the arrest of three people who were reportedly picking soil at the scene of crime.
According to these sources, after Yiga ordered the arrest of these individuals, they claimed that Baroza had sent them for the soil. Indeed upon learning of their arrest, Baroza reportedly asked Yiga to release them. Yiga is said to have initially declined to release the suspects until Kayihura intervened. Baroza later denied the allegations.
