Stephen Nuwagaba: Allegations against me are meant to damage my reputation, mislead the public

MY RESPONSE TO THE ALLEGATIONS MADE AGAINST ME BY MR ANDREW MWENDA

I have taken note of the allegations made against me by Mr Andrew Mwenda in his article published in The Independent newspaper dated 21 July 26. I categorically reject these allegations as false, malicious, defamatory, and entirely unsupported by credible evidence. They appear calculated to damage my reputation, undermine my credibility and mislead the public regarding my relationship with the security establishment and the Office of the President.

Throughout my service, I have consistently understood that intelligence is founded on facts, corroboration, verification and objective analysis. Not on speculation, rumours, personal grievances, or vendettas. Uganda’s intelligence architecture comprises several professional agencies mandated to independently collect, analyse, verify and evaluate intelligence before any action is taken. No single individual has the authority to determine the fate of public officials based solely on personal opinion or unverified allegations.

The article seeks to create the false impression that I possess the authority to influence appointments, dismissals, transfers, or disciplinary actions within the security services. Such claims are entirely unfounded and demonstrate a fundamental misunderstanding of the established institutional processes governing Uganda’s security sector.

His Excellency President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, the Commander-in-Chief, is an experienced statesman with decades of leadership in military affairs, intelligence and national security. He has devoted many years to building and overseeing Uganda’s security architecture and is well known for insisting that intelligence be thoroughly verified before any decisions are made. It is therefore both misleading and disrespectful to suggest that the President would make decisions solely on the basis of unverified information provided by any individual.

The President personally knows many of the officers who serve around him, including members of his security team and aides. Any information that I may have submitted, where appropriate, would have been subjected to independent verification by the relevant intelligence and security agencies before any administrative or operational decision could be considered. To suggest that I single-handedly influenced the removal, transfer, or disciplinary action of any officer disregards the institutional mechanisms through which intelligence is assessed and decisions are made.

The article further attributes to me allegations concerning Assistant Inspector General of Police Frank Mwesigwa, including claims that I demanded money from him. I categorically deny these allegations. At no time did I solicit, demand, or receive any money from him, as alleged.

If such an incident had genuinely occurred, it would be reasonable to expect credible and verifiable evidence to support such serious accusations. If I had indeed entered his office, interrogated him and demanded money as alleged, why was I not immediately arrested or formally reported? Why was the matter not formally brought to the attention of the Inspector General of Police, the Commander of the Special Forces Command, or even His Excellency the President, instead of being presented through newspaper publications? Such an approach would be inconsistent with the conduct expected of a senior police officer. Serious allegations of this nature should be supported by credible evidence rather than mere assertions.

It is my understanding that there have been disagreements concerning matters affecting civilians, particularly land disputes, in which I have consistently opposed the abuse of authority and the unlawful displacement of citizens from their land. On such matters, I have always kept His Excellency informed through the appropriate channels. Personal disagreements should never be transformed into false criminal allegations intended to damage another person’s reputation.

If any individual alleges that I committed extortion or demanded money, the burden rests upon that person to produce credible, admissible and verifiable evidence before making such accusations publicly.

I also reject the allegation that I fabricated intelligence or manipulated information to target officers within the security establishment. Intelligence assessments are never based on the opinion of a single individual. They are subjected to rigorous scrutiny, corroboration and professional evaluation by the competent intelligence agencies before any action is taken. Any attempt to portray me as the sole architect of personnel decisions is inaccurate and contrary to the established procedures governing Uganda’s security institutions.

Public confidence in our security institutions depends upon truth, professionalism, accountability and adherence to due process. Equally, every individual accused of wrongdoing is entitled to fairness and the presumption of innocence until credible evidence establishes otherwise. Publishing serious allegations without presenting verifiable evidence undermines responsible journalism, damages reputations and risks misleading the public.

I therefore reject these allegations in their entirety. I remain fully committed to cooperating with any lawful authority should there be a genuine need to establish the facts through a fair and impartial process. At the same time, I reserve all my legal rights to protect my name, reputation and integrity against any false, malicious and defamatory statements.

Yours faithfully,

Stephen Nuwagaba