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“Uganda Police shall continue to occupy and search the two premises until the said documents are retrieved to assist with ongoing investigations,” said the police spokesperson, Judith Nabakooba on Monday.

Red Pepper offices have been sealed off with “crime scene” yellow tape, according to one of the Directors, Patrick Mugumya. Heavily armed anti-riot, plain-clothes police personnel are stationed in and outside the newspaper headquarters. All staff have been directed to leave their offices.

In addition the authorities have silenced  the newspaper’s sister radio stations, Ddembe Fm and KFM which have now been taken off air. Several activists have condemned the raids and warned of the resumption of abuse of freedoms of press.

Sharp rifts in Uganda’s political and military establishment emerged last week with the sensational publication in the Daily Monitor of an internal memo the coordinator of intelligence services General David Sejusa (formerly Tinyefuza), apparently wrote to the director general of the Internal Security Organization.

In it, Gen Sejusa appears to ask the DG ISO, Col Ronnie Balya, to investigate claims that three high-ranking army officers in cahoots with other people plotted to frame and/or assassinate other senior government officials opposed to rumoured plans by President Yoweri Museveni to have his son, Brig Muhoozi Kainerugaba, succeed him. The targets include Gen Sejusa himself, Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi, and Gen Aronda Nyakairima, the Chief of Defence Forces. The memo touched off a flurry of denials and threats from Gen Aronda and Dr Crispus Kiyonga, the Minister of Defence, who both warned Gen Sejusa he was acting outside the law.

The warnings were immediately followed by raids on Gen Sejusa’s office. Four of his staff members were taken in for questioning over “subversive activities” — the same charges, along with spreading harmful propaganda, that he potentially faces. The memo is only the latest in a series of events pointing to simmering unease within the army. The tell-tale sign that President Museveni is ready to sanction Gen Sejusa’s prosecution will be if he announces a military reshuffle and promotes some lieutenant generals to the exclusive club of full generals that currently has seven members.

Police spokesperson, Nabakooba said Police on May 15 received a Court Order, from the Chief Magistrates Court Nakawa, requiring The Daily Monitor journalists to hand over  the original copy of a letter and other related documents, purportedly authored by Gen. David Sejusa (a.k.a. Tinyefuza.)  In the letter, Tinyefuza called for investigations into planned assassinations of military officials opposed to the idea of Brig Muhoozi Kainerugaba succeeding his father.

The army vehemently denied the charge,  accusing Tinyefuza of making divisive remarks.   The police announcement (below) says the Police have made the closure of the Daily Monitor to “ help police investigate criminal offenses”.  A Similarly search warrant has been secured for Red Pepper premises in respect of three press releases allegedly authored by Gen. Sejusa. Uganda Police are currently searching the premises to recover said press releases.