CID seeks more investigators as criminals shift to digital spaces

What the report says

Uganda’s Directorate of Criminal Investigations is pressing for more investigators and stronger digital tools as police contend with crimes that are increasingly planned and carried out online. The issue was highlighted by CID director Tom Magambo after a parliamentary committee on defence and internal affairs inspected CID facilities and reviewed the unit’s ability to respond to evolving criminal threats, according to Nile Post.

Magambo said the directorate is looking at internal recruitment as an immediate way to increase personnel, but argued that staffing alone will not solve the problem. He said investigators also need specialised training, modern infrastructure and better technical capacity to handle offences involving technology, artificial intelligence and digital platforms. He added that police must keep pace with criminals who have shifted into online spaces.

The CID chief also called for more integrated government databases so investigators can access relevant information faster and connect suspects, incidents and evidence more efficiently. He noted that such a system would require further work on legal and policy safeguards governing information sharing. The parliamentary visit also examined the Crime Data Centre, which CID says is meant to support modern investigations, though the project has faced delays. Magambo said funding remains a challenge, but welcomed the committee’s direct engagement with police engineers and infrastructure needs.

Beyond the immediate staffing and technology concerns, the remarks reflect a broader push within law enforcement to adapt to data-driven crime. Magambo said CID’s success should be measured not only by crime statistics, but by whether people feel safe in everyday life.