Who is Kinyera, the new ISO deputy chief?

KAMPALA - The new deputy director general of the Internal Security Organization (ISO), Tony Kinyera Apecu, started out as an operative officer in the agency’s directorate of collection in 2003 and has been rising through the ranks ever since.

Born 48 years ago in Nebbi district, Kinyera served as an operative officer until 2005, when he became Oyam deputy District Internal Security Officer.

In 2007, he worked as an analyst in the Central Analysis Unit at the ISO headquarters in Kampala until 2011, when he became the section head of Regional Analysis in the Directorate of Analysis.

He held that position until 2016 when he became the head of the Joint Intelligence Committee for close to five years, according to his bio-data shared by State House.

In 2020, he became ISO’s deputy director of political affairs until 2023. However, in 2022, he also served as the director Analysis and Information Production until his appointment as deputy director general on Tuesday, April 1.

Kinyera, who attended specialised training in security and intelligence in Moscow, Israel, Germany, Canada, USA and South Africa, is a PhD candidate at Makerere Institute of Social Research (MISR), majoring in Political Studies and minoring in Political Economy.

In 2023, he graduated with Masters of Philosophy in Social Studies from MISR, and a post-graduate diploma in International Security and Diplomacy from the Galilea Institute of International Development in Israel.

In 2012, he obtained a master’s degree in Public Policy and Management from the University of York (UK) and a bachelor’s degree (upper second) from Makerere University in 2001.

Kinyera, who is very much a family man, had his ordinary and advanced levels of education at St. Peter’s College, Tororo, from 1992 to 1998.