Half of the Uganda Police Force’s top leadership is now vacant after the contracts of 10 directors expired and are yet to be renewed.
The 10, all at the rank of Assistant Inspector General of Police, were appointed on two-year terms in May 2024.
With those contracts now lapsed, they have handed over their offices to their deputies as they await a decision from President Yoweri Museveni on renewal.
Uganda Police Force is headed by Inspector General of Police Abas Byakagaba, deputised by James Ocaya. Under them, 20 directorates handle the force’s operations. With this change, 10 of those directorates are now being run in acting capacity.
Who has stepped aside?
The directors who have vacated office are: Stephen Tanui – Fire and Rescue Services, Lawrence Niwabiine – Traffic and Road Safety, David Waswa Ssengendo – Counter-Terrorism, Felix Baryamwisaki – Information Communication Technology, Ubaldo Bamunoba – Political Commissariat, Moses Kafeero Kabugo – Human Resource Development and Training, Erasmus Twaruhukwa – Research, Planning and Development, Hadijah Namutebi – Welfare, Production and Sports, Brig. Gen. Jesse Kamunanwire – Human Resource Administration, and John Nuwagira – Field Force Police.
Felix Baryamwisaki is also serving a six-month forced leave linked to an inquiry into the management of police CCTV cameras. Acting directors like ACP Andrew Mubiru and ACP Ezekiel Ebabu Emitu of Kampala Metropolitan Police remain in office, as they are not on contract.
The contract expiries come as tension builds at Police headquarters in Naguru over a proposed restructuring plan. The Police Authority, the force’s highest governing body, is reportedly considering scrapping all 20 directorates.
Under the plan, the current directorates would be merged into four large clusters, each led by a joint chief of staff. The model borrows from police structures in Kenya and South Africa, where command is grouped to improve coordination.
A source familiar with the proposal said, “The directorates will be merged in groups to form a single, larger directorate headed by a joint chief, similar to the model used in the army.”
The new offices being considered include the Chieftaincy of Administration and Training, the Chieftaincy of Police Operations, and the Chieftaincy of Criminal Investigations.
The goal of the reform is “efficiency-based policing,” cutting bureaucratic overlap and centralising command.
