Under the new UPDF Establishment 2024, the CDF has been granted authority to promote and transfer senior military officers—powers that were not previously assigned to the office of the military commander.
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Crime Intelligence director, Brig Chris Damulira
The Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, has promoted Uganda Police’s Director of Crime Intelligence (DCI), Brigadier General Christ Damulira, to the rank of Major General—leaving him just two ranks away from attaining the highest accolade in Uganda’s military.
Damulira joined the Uganda Police Force in 2019 at the rank of Colonel and was elevated to Brigadier in 2021. His latest promotion to Major General marks another milestone in a military career spanning over 30 years. Under the new UPDF Establishment 2024, the CDF has been granted authority to promote and transfer senior military officers—powers that were not previously assigned to the office of the military commander.
Damulira is credited with reviving the once-struggling Crime Intelligence Department, which has since been elevated to a directorate. His tenure has seen a string of successful operations, including the arrest of high-profile criminal suspects and the dismantling of rebel-linked gangs. He is particularly noted for leading operations against an armed group with ties to the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) and other rebel outfits, responsible for killing at least 10 police officers, soldiers, and private security guards in attacks on rural police stations and outposts.
The gang carried out deadly raids in Kassanda, Kyankwanzi, Wakiso, Jinja, Butambala, and Iganga, among other areas. Damulira also spearheaded the manhunt for suspects involved in the June 2021 attack on then Chief of Defence Forces and current Minister for Works and Transport, Gen Edward Katumba Wamala, in which his daughter Brenda Nantongo and driver Sgt Kayondo were killed along Kisota Road in Kampala. Known for his disciplined approach, Damulira has often urged officers under his command to avoid random arrests.
“When I say now we should tell the media what we have done, just know I have collected the necessary information and I have almost all the suspects in custody. Do not arrest in order to investigate; make the arrest when you have investigated,” he told detectives at CID headquarters in Naguru. Beyond his operational successes, Damulira is also recognized for his youth rehabilitation initiatives in Kampala’s informal settlements.
Since 2023, he has helped form several youth groups that have received support from President Museveni totaling over two billion shillings. Damulira has acknowledged his promotion and expressed gratitude to those who sent him congratulatory messages. He is among a group of senior military officers who joined the police force in recent years. The group includes now Major General Jack Bakasumba, Brigadier General Godfrey Golooba, and Brigadier Jesse Kamunanwire.
Major General Bakasumba has since been redeployed to the military as Chief of Joint Staff. Brig Gen Golooba was also recalled to the army, though his current role remains unclear. Brig Gen Kamunanwire remains with the Uganda Police as Director for Human Resource Management, although he officially retired from the military in August 2024.
Senior Staff Reporter
Mr Joseph Kato graduated with a Master's Degree of Art in Journalism & Communication on February 02, 2024 at Makerere University. He holds a Post Graduate Certificate in Journalism and Media Studies which he attained in 2023 at Oslo Metropolitan University in Norway.
Mr Kato holds a Bachelors Degree in Mass Communication from Kampala International University. The Master's Degree studies and a decade of journalism practice have enabled Mr Kato to be one of the reliable researchers in areas of conflict, r
