By Executive Editor
When President Yoweri Museveni, in this case, the Appointing Authority named AIGP Tom Magambo as the Director, Criminal Investigations Directorate, CID, about 1 year and 3 months ago, there were mixed reactions.
The holder of that office at the time had been there for some time. So, change, to many, including the staff was largely not an option.
This is partly because AIGP Magabo was not in the face of the public yet his work was, to a point of being recognized by the President.
While human beings naturally resist change for a number of reasons including personal insecurity, the Kampala Gazette has it on good record that the staff of the CID and the public are happy with the work on AIGP Magambo.
Empowerment
The CID structure provides for the Director and two deputies. Initially, these deputies were not much empowered. Today, they have all been re-tooled and re-assigned. “They (Deputies) have all been to training at Kasenyi (not once). After the training, they were assigned their exact roles,” a source familiar with the operations of the Directorate tells the Gazette. This empowerment, we have learnt extends to other officers. For instance, an eviction order would literally be executed by the office of the Director. Today, a source tells us that AIGP Magambo says that is the “work of the Commandant (of the Unit). All heads of department including Commissioners have been trained, says the source. Apart from the partnership with Kasenyi, some staff have been sent to the Police Training School, Kabalye for re-tooling.
Just recently, AIGP Magambo led a team of CID staff to meet the President. That had never happened, the source adds.
Finally, on empowerment, AIGP is said to empower detectives in that detectives don’t have to follow VIPs to their offices to record statements. Currently, VIPs are taking themselves to Kibuli.
“This has restored respect for the Directorate. VIPs are feeling the power of CID,” says the source.
Days ago, AIGP Magambo, the Director CID, officially flagged off 73 District CID officers for a 3-month Refresher Course at Police Training School, Kabalye in Masindi. The training aims to enhance their skills in maintaining law and order in the country and addressing evolving security threats.
Deployments
Our source tells us that IOs (Investigating Officers) had spent 30 years in Kampala.
“You find someone who has worked in Karamoja since 1990 from the time of pass-out leaves Moroto and goes to Napak, and to Nakaprirpirit. They largely become Karamoja IOs). Same thing was happening in Kampala. An officer moves from Katwe, to Kajjansi, or CPS to Kawempe. The criminals/racket they were working with continues working,” explains the source who notes that the officers “continue collecting taxes”
Still along this line, there were situations where the holder of an officer is of a lower rank.
“You would find a Regional CID officer is at the rank of SSP. Someone at CID headquarters holding an office of the AC (Acting Commissioner) is at the rank of ASP. In the region, there is a SSP or SP reporting to an ASP. AIGP Magambo has streamlined that. The right people are in the right offices. That had killed CID. That nonsense has all gone,” notes the source.
In Traffic, for example, “you find that an officer is moved from Kawempe to Maganjo.”
“They continue their crimes. Collecting taxes. But for AIGP Magambo, he took Kampala people to Karamoja. Others had become ‘upcountry officers’, moving from Soroti to Serere, for example. Some never had hopes of ever crossing the Nile (to Kampala). Now, they are also in Kampala and are adjusting to the city life.”
Plain cloth allowance
Before AIGP Magambo took over office, the plain cloth allowance for detectives was abolished. This allowance helps detectives to buy nice suits for field work. We have it on good record that AIGP Magambo has resurrected this and detectives are freely benefiting from the allowance.
Renovations
Generally, the CID looks good. Buildings have been renovated, and the Directorate fenced off.
Partnerships
AIGP Magambo is known to be a man of partnerships. During his time in office, the Director has partnered with a number of agencies of government for a number of reasons. For instance, the CID works with the Government Citizen Interaction Center – GCIC. This means that the CID uses the services of the Centre as opposed to hiring services from elsewhere (which in turn would look like wasting resources). A perfect example for this was when the CID team delivered the 2022 Annual Crime Report in a record time. The GCIC team played a big role in putting together the Report. On top of this, the Gazette understands that while there are Internal lawyers AIGP Magambo works with to analyze a number of situations, he has about 5 external legal brains that help CID lawyers to put things together. “That is the power of partnerships. Today, CID staff train from Kasenyi, a military facility” opines the source.
People management
A source tells Kampala Gazette that AIGP Magambo is a people manager. For instance, the source says that CID staff are not only technically empowered. They are now empowered financially, meaning they at least become hard to corrupt. “This was AIGP Magambo’s personal idea,” says a source at the CID headquarters. When he travels with his team upcountry, the source adds that “everyone sleeps in the same hotel, eats the same food and gets the required field allowance.”
