NITA-U Trains 140 Kampala Police Officers in Digital Forensics, Cybercrime

What the report says

More than 140 police officers from Kampala, Wakiso, Mukono and Mpigi have completed specialized training in digital forensics and cybercrime investigation, according to Nile Post. The training was run by the National Information Technology Authority-Uganda (NITA-U) under the World Bank-funded Uganda Digital Acceleration Project and focused on handling digital evidence, investigating electronic fraud, computer misuse and other technology-related offences.

The first group took part in a three-day course at the Civil Service College in Jinja City. NITA-U officials said the program is meant to give frontline officers practical skills to identify, preserve and examine digital evidence, especially because police stations are often the first place victims report cyber-related crimes. The participants were drawn from areas in the Kampala Metropolitan region and regularly handle public complaints.

Uganda Police Force training official Moses Byebagye said the course was timely because technology has created new avenues for crime and increased demand for cybercrime expertise. Caroline Akello Mugisha of NITA-U said officers need both technical and legal knowledge to improve investigations and court outcomes. Mulushid Ssengendo Dida said the capacity-building effort will expand to other parts of the country.

The report said the wider project aims to strengthen Uganda’s digital systems and response to risks linked to wider use of online services, smartphones and electronic payments. The officers received certificates of attendance after the training, while police suggested future courses could include more formal professional certification.