Arthur Mugyenyi is the newly appointed Director General of Uganda’s Internal Security Organisation (ISO). He assumed office on April 1, 2025, following his appointment by President Yoweri Museveni.
Mugyenyi takes over from the late Brigadier General Charles Oluka, who passed away on January 29, 2025. Assisting him in his new role is Tony Kinyera Apecu, who has been named Deputy Director General.
In a brief interview with The New Vision, Mugyenyi expressed his gratitude to President Museveni for entrusting him with the role.
“It is a huge task, but we shall handle it because we have a very good team and big networks,” he said.
Who is Arthur Mugyenyi?
Born in Mbarara in 1972 to Canon Charles Rubendana and Mary Rubendana, Mugyenyi has spent nearly three decades in Uganda’s security apparatus.
Reports indicate that he joined the security sector in 1997 and has held several key positions over the years. From 2001 to 2006, he served as a District Internal Security Officer (DISO) in Mbarara, Ntungamo, Kibaale, and Kisoro districts. His expertise later earned him a deployment as the ISO liaison officer in Parliament.
In 2017, he was appointed ISO’s Director for Political Affairs, a role he held until his recent promotion to Director General. He succeeded Lt. Col. Joseph Aliganyira, who was among the ISO directors suspended at the time.
The Internal Security Organisation (ISO) is Uganda’s counter-intelligence agency, responsible for providing national security intelligence to policymakers. It also carries out covert operations at the request of the President.
Established in 1986 by an Act of Parliament, ISO took over the responsibilities initially handled by Military Intelligence. Like all intelligence agencies, its primary mandate is to ensure the stability and security of the state.
ISO fulfills this mandate by monitoring key government programs that are critical to national stability. It gathers intelligence on internal threats, including subversion, sabotage, and destabilization efforts. Additionally, it conducts intelligence-driven operations to safeguard Uganda’s security interests.
