KAMPALA – The failure by the Uganda Police to execute its work diligently has left president Museveni with no option but to replace them with more loyal officers of the Uganda People’s Defence Forces, soon the two institutions may look like they are one and the same.
Clearly, the President is tired of the “Kawukumi” that can only be compared to another insect called “Indiwulira” for its inability and refusal to heed warnings.
Left with no option, the President is slowly but surely employing Archimedes’ principle of buoyancy to wed out and displace them one by one.
Archimedes’ principle is only being used for illustration. a physical law of buoyancy discovered by the ancient Greek mathematician and inventor Archimedes stating that anybody completely or partially submerged in a fluid- gas or liquid at rest is acted upon by an upward, or buoyant, force, the magnitude of which is equal to the weight of the fluid displaced by the body.
The volume of displaced fluid is equivalent to the volume of an object fully immersed in a fluid or to that fraction of the volume below the surface for an object partially submerged in a liquid.
Thus the weight of the displaced portion of the fluid is equivalent to the magnitude of the buoyant force.
The buoyant force on a body floating in a liquid or gas is also equivalent in magnitude to the weight of the floating object and is opposite in direction; the object neither rises nor sinks and so the magnitude of the buoyant force matches the weight of the object.
Many high ranking officers in the Uganda Police who hoped to replace the frail Akullo must have been freighted out of the witch doctor’s shrine when the new broke out that the President had appointed a Private to head the Police Criminal Intelligence Department as if there were no able trained and qualified Police officers to take up these roles.
Uganda Police Forces last carried out promotion for Senior Police Officers in 2016 during the reign of former Inspector General of Police Kale Kayihura yet many have been retired due to the retirement age cap, Public interest and others on health grounds.
About ten Assistant Inspector General of Police Officers have retired in the last four years following the expiry of their contracts without renewal leaving a leadership vacuum in the Police Force that is now being filled by officer of the Uganda Defense Forces.
Major Tom Magambo, a Uganda People’s Defense Forces soldier was a private until a few hours ago when he skipped 9 ranks and was subsequently appointed Director of Police Criminal Investigations.
His appointment automatically displaces Assistant long-serving Inspector General of Police Grace Akullo who is said to be indisposed and has been unable to perform her duties for a very long time, certainly such a sensitive office cannot stay vacant for long.
Those who have worked with Magambo at Internal Security Organisation say he is a very loyal and intelligence officer who pays attention to detail in his line of duty. Once he is given a task, he works relentlessly to deliver results and is a team player.
His problem though is that once he blacklists you in his mind, there is nothing you can do to impress him. It is said that his conservative and efficient method of work once placed him at loggerheads with his former boss and was displaced and given other duties.
Major Magambo’ s appointment and promotion could be the first of its kind having skipped nine ranks including Lance Corporal, Corporal, Sergeant, Staff Sergeant, Warrant Officer I, Warrant Officer II, Second Lieutenant, Lieutenant, and Captain to become a major, a rank which is equivalent to Superintendent of Police if am not mistaken.
To assume this office and work efficiently without seniority lapses, Magombo needs to be elevated immediately to at least a rank of Brigadier given that some of his staff at the Directorate are higher than him in rank.
His profile shows that he has been serving as the coordinator of the Eastern Africa Fusion and Liaison Unit, a ten-country regional intelligence-gathering centre.
He has previously worked as a Director of Analysis and information support at the Directorate of Internal Security Organisations. Those in his circles say he joined the Uganda people’s Defense Forces way back in the 1990s.
Many are surprised he was still a mere private despite having taken off some time to study and attained very excellent high academic qualifications on top of his experience.
The Deputy Inspector General of Police left behind by the late Lt Gen Paul Lokech has been filled by Major General Geoffrey Tumusiime Katsigazi.
Before the appointment, Katsigazi has been deputy commander air force and has formerly worked as UPDF liaison officer at the East African Community headquarters in Arusha. He brings with him a wealth of experience gained as former commander of motorized infantry brigade and acting chief of staff Land Forces.
Already, the line Minister of Internal Affairs is of Major General Kahinda Otafiire whose State Minister is General David Muhoozi. Tom Magambo now joins others high ranking Army officers to run the affairs of Uganda Police such as Colonel Jesse Kamunanwire-Director of Human Resource Management, Colonel Godfrey Golooba- Director of Human Resource Development, Brigadier Chris Damulira-Director of Crime Intelligence, Major General Jack Bakasumba- Chief of Joint Staff, and now Major General Geoffrey Tumusiime Katsigazi.
Instead of confronting the situation with boldness in the interest of his own in the Police Force, I was shocked to see the current Inspector General of Police welcoming the new appointments to the Police Force, saying these are bringing a diverse experience to their new roles.
Reacting to public complainants that the President was militarizing the institution of Uganda Police, Martin Okoth Ochola is on record for having said in the year 2019 that army officers bring a great wealth of knowledge to the law enforcement body including intelligence gathering, supervision, and discipline, handling highly risky and confrontational situations.
Is the experience these army officers bring lacking in the Police Force, if not why not, I thought it is the duty of the Government to equip these Police officers with such skills?
Rogers Wadada Musaalo is a Lawyer, human rights activist, researcher, and politician
