Muhoozi Promotes CID Director Tom Magambo to Acting Lieutenant Colonel

In a notable military and security shake-up, the Chief of Defence Forces and senior presidential advisor for Special Operations, Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, has promoted the director of the Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID), AIGP Tom Magambo, to the rank of acting lieutenant colonel.

The promotion was officially communicated by Col Chris Magezi, who serves as the acting director of Defence Public Information at the Ministry of Defence and Veteran Affairs.

Magambo’s career trajectory within Uganda’s security apparatus has been unconventional. He initially joined the Internal Security Organisation (ISO) in 2002, where he spent two decades working as an intelligence operative and rising to become the chief intelligence officer and director of analysis. During his tenure at ISO, he managed regional peace initiatives and coordinated the Eastern Africa Fusion and Liaison Unit.

In January 2022, President Yoweri Museveni appointed Magambo to head the CID, succeeding AIGP Grace Akullo. The appointment generated considerable discussion because Magambo moved directly from intelligence into a senior police leadership role without a traditional law enforcement background. Upon his police appointment, President Museveni elevated him directly from a UPDF private to a major, bypassing several intermediate ranks before later promoting him to AIGP.

Since taking leadership of the CID, Magambo has spearheaded various reforms aimed at modernizing investigative processes. His administration has introduced refresher training courses for detectives, executed mass transfers to curb stagnation at specific stations, and initiated the digitization of crime data alongside a 24-hour call center at Kibuli. President Museveni subsequently renewed his contract as CID director for another two-year term in February 2025.

Read the original story on The Observer.