Museveni’s role in suppressing crime rates

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OPINION

By Faruk Kirunda

Good news from Uganda Police quarters! According to the 2025 Annual Crime Report, reported crime in Uganda has decreased for the second consecutive year. Total reported crime fell by 10.2% last year, with 196,405 cases registered compared to 218,715 in 2024. The drop has been attributed to intensified community policing and targeted operations and comes amid ongoing reforms in Uganda’s policing strategy, including decentralisation of services and increased reliance on community intelligence.

However, President Yoweri Museveni’s role in achieving the good results needs to be considered. Without him, this progress wouldn’t be easily guaranteed. That’s why it pays to have a head of state who is senior, experienced, hearty and well-versed with security matters.

Crime incidences are sensitive to the overall political and stability situation. A state of anarchy is defined by runaway crime, as it was during past regimes or in countries where states have fallen apart. In Uganda, the political situation is normal, with minor exceptions of incitement and provocation by certain groups seeking destruction as a means to gain political capital. The state has been firm in putting down such schemes, and the benefits are what we are celebrating.

The elections were largely peaceful because of the firmness of security agencies, and this should be captured well in this year’s report. A weak state begets uncertainty, which in turn leads to panic that can be exploited by criminals to wreak havoc. Guided by the head of state, security organs were able to keep citizens reassured and feeling safe.

More to his credit, Museveni has established a strong legacy of engagement with his opponents, political and otherwise. That’s how he came to host opposition groups that expressed a willingness to work with the government. He met opposition MPs, including Yusuf Nsibambi of Forum for Democratic Change, who has since joined the National Resistance Movement. Such politics of dialogue and co-operation benefits the overall security and crime situation as opposed to antagonism and defiance.

The President accorded audience to ghetto youths, interacted freely with them and empowered them through the Police’s Director of Crime Intelligence, Maj. Gen. Christopher Ddamulira. He has mobilised ghetto structures across the country. These youths have reformed and helped convert their colleagues from a life of risk and crime. Organised gangs have been infiltrated and busted, including those allied to politicians, the so-called eggaali (mobiliser gangs).

Everywhere, in Kampala and other urban areas, Ddamulira has a network that constantly engages these groups. Some don’t see the value of ghetto engagements and that, partly, explains what had caused their isolation and neglect into a life of destitution, despair and crime. Many of the ghetto dwellers weren’t born hardcore criminals. They are victims of circumstances in need of a fatherly hand, which the President has graciously offered.

The President’s keen interest and support has enabled police’s new outlook to fighting crime, assured of overall political and administrative backing. The flying squad, which had become entangled with criminal elements, has been tamed. Inspector General of Police (IGP) Abbas Byakagaba has rid the force of undue pressure, which had affected the professionalism of the officers and men. The IGP doesn’t listen to influence peddlers. He has empowered directors of different departments to manage their dockets with confidence.

The Criminal Investigations Department (CID), led by AIGP Maj. Tom Magambo has also seen significant growth, transformation and attitude towards work. Hitherto, the department was a haven of corruption. Cases dragged on for ages or died prematurely, leaving the aggrieved frustrated and the offenders hardened. Now, cases move. Every file is tracked. Even if someone has eaten money, the file advances to the next stage of investigations because the system detects everything.

The cohort of today’s CID officers is service-oriented and patriotic. They have been trained adequately and benefited from lectures of opportunity by Museveni, which open up minds to excellence and national interest above personal pursuits and comfort. They have also assimilated his appeal of “zero tolerance” to corruption.

CID operates without fear or favour. The practice of ministers, generals, commissioners and so on calling to order officers about files they are handling is not entertained because these officers have been empowered and gained confidence to stand their ground on the facts. In traffic, there was too much corruption, but now, things have changed. Cops don’t extort money from the public as of old. There may still be some incidents, but overall, there is a reduction in complaints from the public. Drivers can testify that there is a difference.

Where offenders were forced to negotiate with officers for a fee, today most cases end up in court. SCP Lawrence Niwabiine has established an effective network that keeps everyone in check and provides an avenue for quick reporting and resolution of any issue.

On the other hand, an often overlooked factor is the role of resident district commissioners (RDCs), who fall under the Office of the President. RDCs and their counterparts in the cities are the heads of security in their areas. In that role, they coordinate security agencies (police, army, prisons, intelligence) to combat crime effectively. They also spearhead Alternative Dispute Resolution efforts by mediating family, land, community and administrative wrangles. Cases that could escalate into bloodshed or require the police and courts, are mediated and resolved by engaging the different sides in the conflict to reach a workable compromise.

It is also highly probable that economic crimes have gone down due to the introduction of empowerment programmes such as Parish Development Model, Emyooga, Uganda Women Entrepreneurship Programme and the Presidential Skilling Hubs, which absorb previously vulnerable groups into production as opposed to teaming up with gangs terrorising the country. These initiatives should be supported more to further push down crime rates.

The author is the Special Presidential Assistant-Press & Mobilisation/Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Email: faruk.kirunda@statehouse.go.ug