Arthur Mugyenyi: New ISO chief rose through ranks

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The new director general of the Internal Security Organization (ISO), Arthur Mugyenyi, rose through the ranks to become the head of Uganda government’s counterintelligence agency on Tuesday (April 1).

He was appointed by President Yoweri Museveni to replace Brig. Gen. Charles Oluka, who died on January 29 this year.

The President also appointed Tony Apecu as Mugyenyi’s deputy to replace Col. Emmy Katabazi, who was transferred to the foreign affairs ministry.

According to the brief information shared by Faruk Kirunda, the President’s deputy spokesperson, Mugyenyi was the District Internal Security Officer in Mbarara, Kibaale, and Kisoro from 2001 to 2006.

He later served as ISO’s head of Parliament, before becoming the director of political affairs in 2017, a position he held until his appointment as the agency’s head.

ISO is responsible for providing national security intelligence to Uganda’s policy makers. It also engages in covert activities at the request of the President.

Founded in 1986, the organization took over the duties first performed by Military Intelligence and like all intelligence agencies, its main function is to ensure the stability and longevity of the state.

It does this through monitoring priority government programmes that are critical to the well-being of the state, as well as collecting intelligence on locally based groups engaging in or intending to engage in acts of subversion, sabotage or destabilising the country.

More on this story will appear in Wednesday's New Vision newspaper, whose electronic version you can access here: https://editions.visiongroup.co.ug/