CID boss Magambo credits collective police effort for drop in crime

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The Director of Criminal Investigations, Tom Magambo, has attributed the sustained decline in crime in the country in 2025 to coordinated efforts within the Uganda Police Force and improved investigative capacity.

Presenting a summary of the Annual Crime Report 2025 on Monday (March 30), Magambo said the findings reflect the “collective output of the entire police family,” including engineers, ICT teams, forensic experts, and field investigators, with the Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID) playing a central coordinating role.

“We were tasked to set up a secretariat and compile this report, but what we are presenting is a product of the entire force. I want to congratulate all officers on what was achieved last year,” Magambo said.

Magambo also used the platform to highlight progress on the long-awaited police data analysis centre, first proposed in 2014, which is expected to revolutionise crime data processing and decision-making.

“I am happy to report that the building has now been completed within a year. It was constructed entirely by police engineers without external contractors, which is a major milestone. Once fully operational, it will significantly improve how we analyse and utilise crime statistics,” he said.

Crime trends

According to Magambo, Uganda recorded a 10.2 percent reduction in reported crime in 2025, continuing a four-year trend of declining cases.

A total of 283,000 cases were reported during the year, of which 175,391 were submitted to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions. Out of these, 79,291 cases were taken to court, resulting in 31,732 convictions arising from 4,899 concluded cases.

However, he acknowledged challenges within the justice system, including case backlogs, acquittals and dismissals, as well as the misclassification of civil disputes as criminal cases.

“A significant number of complaints reported to police are actually civil in nature. Many are later redirected to civil courts after review by detectives and prosecutors,” he explained.

Magambo revealed that CID detectives are currently handling an average caseload of 1:54 cases per officer, far above the global standard of 1:12.

“This workload explains part of the backlog we continue to see. It underscores the need for increased staffing, training, and resources to improve the speed and quality of investigations,” he said.

The report shows that theft remained the most prevalent offence, with 63,000 cases recorded in 2025, although this represented a reduction from the previous year.

Domestic violence cases also declined by 12.2 percent, dropping to 12,300 cases from 14,758 in 2024.

Economic and corruption-related crimes stood at 11,548 cases, while break-ins reduced by 12.5 percent to 11,818 cases.

Other notable declines were recorded in assault cases, which dropped to 8,848, obtaining money by false pretences, which fell to 8,545 cases, malicious damage to property, which reduced to 7,303 cases, and criminal trespass, which declined to 6,467 cases.

Homicide cases stood at 4,298, representing 2.2 percent of total crimes, with a slight decline from 2024.

Magambo emphasised that sustaining the gains will require stronger public cooperation and continued institutional collaboration.

He also praised collaboration with key institutions, including the Judiciary, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions and international partners, noting that such partnerships have enhanced coordination and efficiency in the justice system.