CID boss Tom Magambo.
By Joseph Kiggundu
KAMPALA. The Director of the Police Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID), Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIGP) Tom Rwabudongo Magambo, has been promoted to the rank of acting lieutenant colonel in the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (UPDF).
According to a statement issued on Thursday by Col Chris Magezi, the acting Director of Defence Public Information at the Ministry of Defence and Veteran Affairs, the elevation was sanctioned by Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, chief of defence forces who also serves as the Senior Presidential Advisor for Special Operations.
“The UPDF fraternity congratulates Lieutenant Colonel Magambo for the well-deserved promotion and wishes him continued success in his duties,” Col Magezi said.
The promotion marks another rapid ascent within the military hierarchy for the 48-year-old intelligence-trained officer, who continues to hold a dual deployment across Uganda’s military and police structures. When President Museveni first tapped him to head the CID in January 2022—replacing longtime director Grace Akullo—Magambo was promoted directly from the rank of Private to Major in the UPDF.
His appointment four years ago broke longstanding precedent, making him the first officer drawn from outside the traditional Uganda Police Force ranks to lead the directorate responsible for investigating major criminal cases across the country. President Museveni subsequently renewed AIGP Magambo’s contract as CID director in February 2025 for an additional two-year term.
Born in 1978, Lt Col Magambo hails from Masindi District in western Uganda. Prior to his deployment to the police force, he built an extensive career within the Internal Security Organisation (ISO). During his tenure at the internal intelligence agency, he rose steadily through the ranks to serve as Chief Intelligence Officer, director of analysis, head of regional affairs, and head of counterintelligence and policy analysis.
Beyond domestic intelligence, he also served as the coordinator of the Entebbe-based Eastern African Fusion and Liaison Unit (EA-FLU), a regional intelligence center established in 2018 to combat terrorism and transnational organized crime across East Africa.
Academically, Lt Col Magambo holds a bachelor’s degree in Development Studies and a master’s degree from Makerere University, alongside a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the Eastern and Southern African Management Institute (ESAMI). He also earned a postgraduate diploma from Uppsala University in Sweden and has pursued doctoral studies in mediation and conflict resolution.