Muhoozi promotes police’s Tom Magambo to acting lieutenant colonel

What the report says

Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, Uganda’s Chief of Defence Forces and senior presidential adviser for Special Operations, has promoted Tom Magambo, the director of the Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID), to acting lieutenant colonel. The announcement was made by Col Chris Magezi, the acting director of Defence Public Information at the Ministry of Defence and Veteran Affairs, according to The Observer.

The paper said Magambo has had a long intelligence and security career. He joined the Internal Security Organisation in 2002 and later held roles including director of analysis, head of regional affairs, and liaison work tied to broader regional security cooperation. The report also noted that he previously served in counterintelligence, policy analysis, and other assignments before moving into the police leadership structure.

Magambo was appointed CID director by President Yoweri Museveni in January 2022, replacing AIGP Grace Akullo. The Observer said the appointment was unusual because Magambo had not been a career police officer and had come from ISO, prompting questions inside the police force. He was later promoted to AIGP in April 2022 to regularize his position.

The report added that under Magambo’s leadership CID has pursued reforms such as refresher training, transfers, renewed detective allowances, and efforts to digitize crime data. It also said a 24-hour call centre and a Crime Data Analysis Centre at Kibuli have been proposed, and that his contract as CID director was renewed in February 2025.