By Abiya Ochola and David Ochami

Details have emerged of how Uganda launched and executed operations to forcibly take the disputed Migingo Island near its border with Kenya.

A memo The Standard has uncovers the operation, code-named Restore Sanity, was launched on February 20, when Uganda entrenched its presence on the island.

And despite Uganda President Yoweri Museveni’s feigning ignorance about the dispute, the combined force of Uganda Peoples Defence Air Force (UPDAF), Presidential Guard Brigade (PGB) marines, and police involved had his full backing.The invasion of Migingo was against the inter-ministerial negotiations to resolve the dispute that has been raging on since 2004.

It has also emerged that Uganda, which caught Kenya off-guard over the Migingo saga, is now keen on "reclaiming" the island by intercepting any Kenyan military activity near the island.

Confidential memo

In a confidential memo written by the Ugandan Inspector-General of Police Edward Kale Kayihura, a copy of which is in our possession, the Ugandan Government claims that Kenya had initially agreed that Migingo was Ugandan territory.

"In fact, the two governments agreed that the current status of the island — namely that it is Ugandan territory — be maintained," the memo reads in part.

But it is on this premise that Migingo was in Uganda that Museveni launched the February 20 rapid assault to "reclaim" it from Kenya Administration Police "aggressors" on sovereign Ugandan territory.

In the memo, Major-Gen Kayihura argues that on February 18, about 35 Kenya police officers "violated Ugandan territory by invading Migingo Island, which at the time was manned by a Uganda police post with the strength of eight police personnel".

In the brief, Kayihura concisely details that Kenyan APs on the island were poorly organised with little support from the military and other security forces.

"On the contrary, the Kenya police expressed ignorance and disassociated themselves from the invasion. However, there are indications that the invasion was linked to or inspired by some political leaders and businessmen at national and local levels," said Kayihura.

In the eyes of Uganda, Kenya’s aim is to annex Migingo Island as Kenyan territory as testified by the hoisting of the Kenyan flag on the island (prior to the Ugandan operation) by the APs.

When The Standard contacted Uganda Government Spokesman Fred Opolot last evening, he denied his country had invaded Migingo on February 20.

Mr Opolot instead argued that his country has always stood for a diplomatic resolution to the ownership wrangle.

"This is a serious allegation and I hope you are recording this conversation. It is not true and Uganda would not undertake an operation to flash out Kenyans from Migingo. There was nothing of the sort," Opolot said on telephone.

Gone to London

He added: "The Ugandan team, as we speak, has gone to London in our efforts to amicably resolve this matter. I think by the 20th of next month (May), the joint technical team will have come up with a roadmap."

But pressed to explain why Ugandan police marines landed on the disputed island on February 20, Opolot excused himself, saying he was headed for a meeting and promised to call later. He had not called by the time we went to press.

Kenya Government Spokesman Alfred Mutua said Kenya has been consistent in its diplomatic approach.

"I think the Government’s position is underlined in the joint communiquÈ which spells out the Migingo status from the Kenyan perspective. We have not wavered at all," Dr Mutua said on the telephone.

The communiquÈ, among others, stipulates that the dispute would be decided upon the successful completion of the island’s demarcation.

Ugandan High Commissioner to Kenya Matayo Chaligonza could not be reached as he was said to be on an official trip abroad.

But according to the memo, the Kenyan APs at Migingo at the time of the operation were ill equipped and vulnerable.

The APs were only ill armed, with a single speedboat.

"Their current position is vulnerable to air and marine attack as they do not seem to have support of air defence. However, the closeness of Mijingo Island to the Kenya mainland gives them advantage," said the Ugandan police chief, who led the overall operation.

Despite frequent denials that the Ugandan military was involved in the Migingo standoff, the memo, which was copied to Museveni, reveals that two Air Force helicopters were used in the assault.

And to confirm that Museveni was aware of the operation, the elite Presidential Guard Brigade (PGB) was involved in the invasion.

Support to forces

Ugandan helicopters provided air support to ground forces, transport to troops and logistics in an operation that saw at least nine Kenyan Administration Police arrested.

According to Kayihura’s instructions, the Air Force and ground troops took charge of Migingo in a four-hour operation that started at 10am.

Testimonies from fishermen on the island said the Ugandan marines landed there at around midday, arrested the APs, hoisted the Ugandan flag and imposed a curfew and toll station.

The team led by SP John Nuwagira landed there in four boats and two speedboats, according to one fisherman, and arrested the APs.

In the operation, Uganda used one coy (a contingent of 30 officers) from the North Korean-trained Mobile Police Patrol Unit, two police marine squads and two squads of PGB marines whose task was to drive away the APs in the event that they resisted peaceful withdrawal, dominate and defend Migingo and hoist the Ugandan flag to replace the Kenyan one.

The two helicopters were to intercept and destroy any marine reinforcement and provide fire support, establish maintenance, logistic and reserve base.

In preparation for confrontation with Kenya, Uganda planned to establish a medical post on Migingo, while serious cases were to be evacuated to Entebbe hospital by Air Force or to Lorwe Island by marines.

A forward logistic base was established at Lorwe, while a rear logistic base was put at Rugara Landing Site.

In what reads like a full-blown war manual, a Joint Command Centre was set up at the police headquarters in Kampala under Kayihura, while the Air Operations Command Centre was at Entebbe Airbase.

The Tactical Air Operations Command Post was at Kakira Airfield and the Joint Tactical headquarters was at the PGB Marine Arinda 805 under Assistant Inspector-General of Police Godfrey Bangirana.

Overall commander

Kayihura was the overall commander, while UPDAF was under the alternate commander.

The Joint Operations Commander was Superintendent John Nuwagira.

Because of telephone inter-connectivity between Kenya and Uganda, use of telephones for operation purposes was prohibited.

All communication was by radio and courier, and commanders were given walkie-talkies.

Uganda has since expelled many fishermen from Migingo. This is after it officially put a notice that claims the island as Ugandan territory.

Senior security officers in Kenya confirmed that they intercepted intelligence on the Ugandan operation, which is what prompted Police Commissioner Hussein Ali to visit Kampala on April 2.

The details of that mission were not divulged although it emerged he met his counterpart in Uganda.