Andrew Felix Kaweesi was denied a US visa
Kaweesi was expected in the USA this
month to attend the course at the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI)
junior academy. The course was postponed last year after a
congressional budget standoff with the President Obama administration
forced a government shutdown.
The training was meant to re-skill
Kaweesi in investigating and handling new terrorism threats. In a letter
copied to the inspector general of police, Gen Kale Kayihura, the
American embassy cited the enactment of the anti-gay law as reason for
the rejection and the relatively dampened American relations with
Uganda.
Kaweesi acknowledged receiving the letter that blocked him.
“It’s true that the American ambassador has written to me over the matter,” Kaweesi said.
He described the decision as
unfortunate. He said the anti-homosexuality law was passed to protect
Uganda’s cultural interests. Police Spokesperson Judith Nabakooba also
confirmed in an interview on Tuesday that Kaweesi had been denied a US
visa.
“It’s true they denied him a visa and he
also has a copy of the refusal letter. He was going for three months’
training,” she said.
Last December, the US embassy in Kampala
blacklisted some senior police officers singled out for their role in
the brutal suppression of the opposition-led ‘walk-to-work’ protests.
According to police sources, the blocked
officers included Grace Turyagumanawe, who is in charge of operations,
Joel Anguma, the former commandant of the Rapid Response Unit (RRU), and
Laban Muhabwe.
According to US embassy sources, the
blacklisted officers cannot travel to the United States or attend any
US-sponsored training programme. On February 24, President Museveni
signed into law the Anti-Homosexual Bill to the chagrin of the
international community.
The White House sharply criticised the
law as being “more than an affront” and warned that the Obama
administration would review America’s relationship with Uganda.
