One day i asked a soldier under mechanized regiment why army tanks make so much noise yet they carry shells that are not as intimidating as the noise itself and he told me the noise is part of the psychological warfare, that if a tank is rumbling towards you, even if it was totally unarmed, you will think twice staying around however brave you may be.
For a long time, most Ugandans did not respect, fear or get intimidated by looking at the barracks that housed the Uganda Criminal Investigation Department of Uganda Police. Even
though it administered venomous bites to criminals, it lacked the tank-like rumblings to send chills to budding lawbreakers.
The first time i interacted with the institution, myself, was going
to Kibuli to visit a friend and i literally walked through the barracks unhindered, no questions were asked from Mukwano factory to my destination.
Organised chaos reigned supreme, even when there were attempts to draw the boundary with barbed wire, the CID staff themselves cut routes through it to access shops. At some point
many of the delipidated structures inside the barracks were turned into Malwa drinking joints and makeshift restaurants. Zero psychological warfare from such a serious institution.
Recently, while at CID, i was amused when one officer told his colleague that do you remember the lady who was selling chapati in this corner? And the corner is literally next to the current conference room, an area that is now hard to access if you are not authorised.
But guess what, in just a space of only three years of Assistant Inspector General of Police Afande Tom Magambo at the helm, CID headquarters has totally transformed into a respected if not feared centre of crime investigation that sends chills to criminals’ spines and the chaos and
mayhem are gone, the tank rumblings are back, no one wants to linger around aimlessly.
The transformation started with digitisation of the Annual Crime Report that enables seamless real-time data analysis leading to timely reaction and accountability and also enhances better
data protection and bridges communication gaps with the public.
The report is now easy to comprehend and faster to reconcile with available facts and this was followed by wall-fencing which effectively returned the control of security back to the owners.
With its magnificent gate, the fence portrays professionalism and order but also shields the headquarters from prying public eyes during sensitive operations, investigations
and covert training exercises taking place inside.
In the same three years, the CID got ranked the 3rd most effective investigative agency in Africa by the 2024 survey of Kenya Trak, a Nairobi-based research firm.
Uganda scored 74%, behind Kenya’s DCI at 82% with Ghana gunning 76% and today, the Directorate boasts of a 24-hour call centre equipped with a toll-free number that allows citizens throughout Uganda to contact the police with complaints and issues that
require immediate attention and the call-centre will enhance Police communication with citizens and improve response efficiency.
Afande Magambo has put a lot of emphasis on training of staff in order to maintain a professional, effective and an up-to-date accountable department.
With the ever-evolving crime landscape, adaptation to modern investigative skills is key and that is why continuous
training keeps the force ahead of criminals in areas such as cybercrime, terrorism, human trafficking and digital fraud.
The directorate has embarked on the construction of a state of art seven storey Crime Data Analysis Centre office block.
While officiating at the ground breaking ceremony, the Minister of Internal Affairs, Maj Gen Kahinda Otafiire appreciated the work being done saying; “Every time i come here, Magambo has made movement. I can now say am proud of CID”
The director himself was upbeat about the project saying; “Today marks the beginning of a new era, the first seven-story CID building since the 1930s, built by Ugandans for Ugandans.
We are proud that this structure, unlike the colonial buildings around us, will be a Ugandan creation, engineered, built, and maintained by Ugandans and future generations will look back and appreciate that we, the generation of this time, contributed meaningfully.
Like President Museveni said, ironically at CID headquarters itself; “In the last 65 years, what i discovered is that many people don’t really belong to Uganda in their work, in their thinking. If you do, it is easy to get solutions.”
Through these achievements, AIGP Tom Magambo has demonstrated that he belongs to Uganda in his work, in his thinking.
The Writer Magezi Kiriinjju is a Communications Officer
Government Citizen Interaction Centre.
State House
