Security analysts have urged those doubting the appointment of Major Tom Magambo as the new boss for the Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID) to give him the benefit of the doubt.
Last month, President Yoweri Museveni, promoted Private Tom Magambo to the rank of Major and subsequently appointed him to replace Assistant Inspector General of Police –AIGP Grace Akullo.
Given the fact that Akullo has more than 20 years of police service of which the biggest part of her work has been in CID, Maj Magambo’s appointment was looked at in security circles as disrespect to the police force.
Dr Solomon Asiimwe, a security and international relations scholar, Fred Egesa a former police officer and renowned security analyst as well as Charles Rwomushana former Internal Security Organizations (ISO) director also security analyst, said the public and security personnel should not see Magambo as a Private promoted on appointment day but should focus on his experience and what he can offer.
Magambo, according to Dr. Asiimwe, is capable of doing wonders since today’s security threats require more of a military approach. Because Magambo has been serving as director of analysis at ISO, Dr. Asiimwe believes he has got all it takes to conduct intelligence and investigations like Akullo has been doing or even better.
“This is not the first time President Museveni has appointed a non-police officer to head a police institution. He might be a Private but when he has it all. He might be a Private but when he is holding a very senior rank and title in ISO. We have a new meaning of security threats and it requires the expertise of military in police,” Dr. Asiimwe said.
Egesa says that even though ISO works with the Army, it is more of civilian intelligence and investigations department. Egesa says Magambo could not be at the level of a director if he had no capabilities to handle intelligence and investigations.
“ISO is almost a civilian investigations department. An officer who has been raised through deployment is capable of handling investigations and intelligence. It is time we developed an element of spying in the police. It is not just as getting evidence of a committed or yet to be committed crime,” Egesa said.
Rwomushana insists that he trained with Magambo and they did among other courses Company commanders course and battalion command courses. Rwomushana says that many of the people who trained with him agreed to officially join the army but for him he argued that he could do intelligence without necessarily being in the army and acquiring a number in the army.
Magambo, who has been director of analysis at ISO, according to Rwomushana, has been receiving intelligence reports from regions and district spy teams.
“They collect intelligence and give him to analyze. At his rank, he is more competent to manage District and Regional CID. He did courses in intelligence gathering. Intelligence is superior to CID,” Rwomushana explains.
On the issue of more soldiers being appointed to take over key positions in the police force, Dr. Asiimwe, Rwomushana, and Egesa say the Commander in Chief (CIC) could have noticed that there is a need for military support to the management of the police force. Police officers have been urged not to worry because the rate at which military officers are being deployed into the force is not alarming.
Museveni first appointed then Brig Gen Edward Katumba Wamala as IGP in 2000 and he was later replaced with Maj Gen Edward Kale Kayihura in 2005. During Gen Kayihura’s reign, Col Ndawula Atwooki was director of crime intelligence but there were other army officers like Major Peter Resherere, serving in the police.
In 2018 when Museveni fired Gen Kayihura, he appointed Maj Gen Sabiiti Muzeeyi as deputy to IGP Ochola. Gen Sabiiti was replaced within 2020 with Maj Gen Paul Lokech who died in August last year. Yesterday Museveni appointed Maj Gen Godfrey Katsigazi to replaced the deceased Maj Gen Lokech.
But in 2019, Museveni appointed two Brigadiers Jack Bakasumba as Chief of Joint Staff while Chris Damulira was appointed director CI. In addition, Col Jesse Kamunanwire was appointed director HRM while Col Godfrey Golooba was appointed director HRD.
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