Five police bosses get contract extensions

President Museveni has extended the contracts of five police directors, including three military officers.

The officers whose contracts were renewed are Brig Christopher Ddamulira, the director of Crime Intelligence, Brig Jesse Kamunanwire, the director of Human Resource Management, Brig Godfrey Golooba, the director of Human Resource Training, Assistant Inspector General of Police Abbas Byakagaba, the director of Counter Terrorism, and Assistant Inspector General of Police John Ndungutse, the police attaché to Uganda’s Embassy in Nairobi.

The police spokesperson, Mr Fred Enanga, confirmed their contract extension, but declined to give more details.

“It is true,” Mr Enanga said when asked about the new contracts. Eight police directors had applied for the extension of their jobs six months ago. 

The extension is often two or three years long, but it depends on the discretion of the appointing authority.

Traditional police officers including AIGP Asan Kasingye, the former Chief Political Commissar, AIGP Erasmus Twaruhukwa, the director of Legal and Human Rights, AIGP Andrew Sorowen, the former director for Welfare, AIGP Joseph Mugisa, the director for Fire Prevention and Rescue Services, Edward Ochom, the director for Operations, and Haruna Isabirye, the police attaché to Uganda’s embassy in New York were among those who applied for contract extensions.

AIGP Kasingye, through his social media accounts, yesterday said his contract wasn’t extended. AIGPs Kasingye and Sorowen handed over offices to their deputies. 

There are six military officers in the police’s top leadership and they include Maj Gen Tumusiime Katsigazi (deputy Inspector General of Police), Maj Gen Abel Kandiho (Joint Chief of Staff), AIGP Tom Magambo (Criminal Investigation Directorate), and (Brig Kanamunwire). 

Brig Ddamulira, the director of Crime Intelligence, occupies the leadership of a directorate from which majority of the Inspectors General of Police have been picked since Uganda attained independence. 

According to Uganda’s laws, the military is supposed to deal with external threats and only called upon in internal affairs when there is except threats or emergencies. But of late, the military carries out day-to-day operations . 

Opposition leaders and rights activists accuse President Museveni of militarising the police so that they carry out work on his orders.

Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIGP) is the third-highest rank in the structure of the Uganda Police Force.

Why contracts?

According to unofficial rules that emanated from the recommendations from the Justice Julia Ssebutinde report about corruption in the Uganda Police Force in 2000, if an officer, who is 45 years old and above, is promoted to the rank of Assistant Inspector General of Police, he resigns from the police and he or she serves on contract. 

The contract can be renewed for another three years and thereafter for two more years. 

Profiles

Brig Christopher Ddamulira. He has vast knowledge and experience in intelligence gathering having served in the same position in Somalia under the Amisom during the time when the late Lt Gen Paul Lokech was the commander of the Ugandan troops. 

Brigadier Ddamulira has been instrumental in dismantling Allied Democratic Force (ADF) terror cells in the country. Several suspects have either been put out of action or arrested during operations. 

Last month, crime intelligence officers arrested 24 suspected ADF rebels agents who are also alleged to be the funders of ADF activities in the country.  With the Flying Squad Unit now put under his command, he has been credited for dismantling several criminal gangs with  in the city.

The Flying Squad police unit was involved in the arrest of three suspects alleged to have participated in last week’s attack on a supermarket in Mukono by gunmen. One of the guns used in the attack by the men captured on CCTV camera has since been recovered.
AIGP Abbas Byakagaba. He has been a busy man as the police director for Counter terrorism, following the November, 18 bomb attacks at the Central Police Station and on the Parliamentary Avenue in Kampala. 

As director for Counter terrorism, Byakagaba has been part of the operations targeting ADF terrorist cells in several parts of the country and the arrest of suspects involved in these criminal activities.

He  is also among the few police directors with specialised training in counter terrorism from the United States, a feat that gives him an edge over others due to the experience and knowledge acquired over many years in this field.

The other directors are Maj Gen Jesse Kamunanwire for Human Resource Administration, and Brig Godfrey Golooba for Human Resource Development and Training. 

They were deployed in the police in 2019 and have performed well, prompting Mr Museveni to extend their contracts.