{UAH} Uganda and the Scary Tale of Powerful Extra Security Agencies

Uganda and the Scary Tale of Powerful Extra Security Agencies

Tagged:

• East Africa
• Governance
• Legal Affairs
• Uganda

Tweet

Share

Google+

Photo: Joseph Kato/Daily Monitor

Flying Squad Unit police officers perform drills at Nakasongola military Cantonment (file photo).

OPINIONBy Nicholas Sengoba

Recently, a young man was caught impersonating an intelligence officer. Apparently, he had been at the game for a long time and made lots of money through blackmail, deceit, manipulation, and outright theft.

He got away with it for so long because of a peculiarity that has run through the history of Uganda from Independence in 1962.

Under normal circumstances, a State has a handful of reorganised and gazetted security agencies that handle crime and security. The police force handles the civil side of things to ensure security of person, property, law and order. It is responsible for investigations, arrest, detention and is instrumental in persecution of suspects in a court of law. It has a Criminal Investigations Department and a Special Branch that handles complex matters of espionage.

The National Army handles national security, and secures the borders of the country against external aggression. With it come the military police for discipline and a military intelligence arm that gathers information to keep the army up to speed.

You may add a supreme intelligence body that handles external security and complex matters that cut across all spheres of society and overlap into the borders of other countries -which role the CIA plays in the US.

From 1962, Uganda has had more than the police, and the army dealing with security. In Milton Obote's first regime 1962- 1971 you had the General Service Unit (GSU) acting as an additional security arm.

In 1971-79 under Iddi Amin you had the State Research Bureau (SRB.) During Milton Obote's second attempt from 1980-85 you had the National Security Agency (NASA) throwing their weight around. Under Yoweri Museveni from 1986- to date there have been many; Joint Anti Terrorism Team (JATT,) ISO, ESO, GISO, FFU, Flying Squad, VCCU, Operation Wembley, etc.

What is characteristic of most of these 'other' security agencies is that their operations are supposed to be covert and discreet. Their activities are not clear cut and you never know who they report to. Most times they are padded with ruling party activists.

They are untouchable and feared more than the regular uniformed policemen and soldiers. They have more leg room to maneuver and do as they please in pursuit of national security and undermine the regular forces.

Sent from my MetroPCS 4G LTE Android Device