Why army recalled Col Ndahura

Recalled. Former police director of Crime Intelligence, Col Ndahura Atwooki. PHOTO BY ALEX ESAGALA

What you need to know:

  • Reason. Although army says his tour of duty in the police has ended, some sources say he was rendered redundant when crime intelligence and investigations were merged.
  • Col Ndahura has been supervising the Flying Squad which has been moved back to the Directorate of CID. He had set up crime intelligence units at regions, districts and police post level.

Kampala. The Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) has recalled Col Ndahura Atwooki, who has been the Director Crime Intelligence in the Uganda Police Force, to return to the military forces.
Col Ndahura’s recall comes at a time when the new leadership of the police has merged directorates and transferred supervision of the Force’s units to the police commanders.
Sources in security have looked at the recall as a move to rid the force of entities linked to Former Inspector General of Police, Gen Kale Kayihura.

Others say it is Col Ndahura’s lack of intelligence background that might have let to the recall.
“The army is creating a leeway for the new administration to re-organise crime intelligence,” a source said, adding that the new Inspector General of Police, Mr Martins Okoth-Ochola, might use this chance to appoint an officer with a Special Branch background.

Other people indicate that Col Ndahura had been rendered redundant when Gen Kayihura merged crime intelligence with investigations into one directorate.
Col Ndahura has been at the rank of Assistant Inspector General of Police (A/IGP) and heading the Directorate of Crime Intelligence whose headquarters were at Kiswa in Bugolobi.
However, the UPDF spokesperson, Brig Richard Karemire, attributed Col Ndahura’s move back to Mbuya to an end of tour of duty.

“Yes, his tour of duty in the Uganda Police Force has come to an end, he now moves back to army headquarters to await deployment,” Brig Karemire said yesterday.
Police spokesperson Emilian Kayima also confirmed Col Ndahura had been recalled to the army.
“The establishment will find a suitable officer to run the office with time,” he said.

Col Ndahura has been one of Gen Kayihura’s closest allies who ran special operations.
Col Ndahura’s recall comes just a day after Mr Okoth-Ochola collapsed the Directorate of Crime Intelligence and returned it to Criminal Investigation under one director, Ms Grace Akullo.

Before its elevation to a full directorate, Crime Intelligence was one of the two departments alongside the Department of Investigations under the Directorate of Criminal Investigations. The department was headed by a Deputy Director.

After disbanding Special Branch, Gen Kayihura replaced its role with Crime Intelligence under the Director of CID and co-opted his fellow combatant Col Ndahura as its head.
Gen Kayihura later elevated the department to a full Directorate.

Previous role
Col Ndahura has been supervising the Flying Squad which has been moved back to the Directorate of CID. He had set up crime intelligence units at regions, districts and police post level.