President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has ordered the Inspector General of Police Martin Okoth Ochola with immediate effect to release the arrested two sons of Lt Gen Henry Tumukunde, the former Minister for Security, who was arrested by a team of police, CMI, SFC and ISO operatives headed by CID boss AIGP Grace Akullo.
Philip Tumukunde and Mr Amanya Ndahura Tumukunde, were on Saturday night picked from their home in Kololo and taken to Jinja Road and Kabalaga Police Stations where they were detained for a lengthy interrogation on treason cases.
After getting information that Gen.Tumukunde’s sons had also been arrested, a senior army officer from Rukungiri who prefered his names to be withheld advised Gen.Museveni that detaining innocent Tumukunde’s sons was making the purpose of treason investigations on Gen.Tumukunde looking shabby.
“After learning that Amanya and Phillip Tumukunde had also been arrested, I called Grace Akullo to intervene in the matter and release them but she didn’t seem to be of good help because she told me that the case was beyond her means.I telephoned all other heads of security organs in Uganda to intervene but non could be of help so I decided to look for President whom I knew was the final man on this matter and fortunately, he became of great help,” a source said.
A source added “It was extremely tiresome to get the commander in Chief because he was busy with European visitors but when I finally got him through a telephone call I told him how we Rukungiri People were not happy with the security operatives arresting almost the whole family of Tumukunde on a matter that could have been amicably resolved. Luckily, the President listened to me and promised that he was going to inform the IGP to release the sons incase he out that they were not involved wrong doings ”
It has been established that by sunday evening, the two sons of incarcerated Tumukunde were freed back home on President Museveni’s orders to IGP Ochola to handle their case with immediate effect.
Mr.Ochola after receiving the communication from the fountain of honour, he instructed CID Director Grace Akullo to set free the two hardliners.
At about 7pm on Thursday, a joint team of military and police operatives raided Gen Tumukunde’s office in Kololo, Kampala.
They forced the gate open and accessed the premises where Gen Tumukunde was with his aides.
Tororo North Member of Parliament, Ms Annett Nyakecho, who was with the group at the time, was also arrested.
Early this month Lt Gen Tumukunde announced that he would stand for president in 2021.
On Tuesday, he met with the police leadership over his planned meetings ahead of the 2021 general elections after the Electoral Commission gave him green light to proceed with the consultations.