The CID director, AIGP Tom Magambo has said there is no one in Uganda too big for the Criminal Investigations Directorate not to investigate.
AIGP Magambo said this was demonstrated during investigations into the Karamoja iron sheets saga which involved several ministers and officials from the Office of the Prime Minister.
“That(Iron sheets) was my first challenging case( as CID director) but I thank God and the president that we stood our ground. All those big people(ministers) came here and visited us. We would write their statements here. You can imagine the pressure that came with that case. We have now reached somewhere,” Magambo said.
“I am proud of my team and we have demonstrated that we can investigate anybody in this country and get a report if we get the right tools.”
AIGP Magambo was on Friday speaking at CID headquarters in Kibuli during the pipping ceremony of 161 CID officers between the ranks of corporal and Senior Superintendent of Police who were recently promoted.
He noted that the case which was investigated in one month and a number of suspects including three senior ministers and their aides arraigned in courts of law over swindling iron sheets meant for the Karamoja Community Empowerment Programme showed that no fish is big to be investigated in Uganda.
The Minister for Karamoja, Mary Goretti Kitutu, her junior minister, Agnes Nandutu and the State Minister for Finance, Amos Lugoloobi as well as several other OPM officials were arraigned before the Anti Corruption Court over the iron sheets saga and are currently out on bail.
The Director of Public Prosecutions, Justice Jane Frances Abodo also hailed CID for a job well-done during the Karamoja iron sheet investigation.
“Continuing supporting the DPP to make the entire government look good. A good job was done during the iron sheet saga. Investigations were done in a record time of one month. The investigations were thorough. You went and took photographs of iron sheets on buildings and that was good work. That is the moral I want. If we don’t do our work, we make people suffer. Whenever you fail to do your duty, you are affecting people’s lives , families and generations,”Abodo said.
The magic bullet
AIGP Tom Magambo said when he had just joined CID, everything was new to him and didn’t know where to start from.
“When the president sent me here, I kept asking myself about this new family. There was bad feedback about corruption and inefficiency. However, with time I have realized that we have some of the best cadres in this country.”
He explained that with time he has realized that CID is the heart of Police and that now that Uganda has after so many years entered the phase of social economic transformation, the role of CID cannot be overstated.
“You cant talk about transforming the lives of our people if you don’t have a CID that works. That investor bringing in money to expand economy and provide social eservices requires robust mechanism of solving crime. When we fail, investors will not come to the country. Tourists will not come to bring in money if they are not assured of their safety. This is therefore the role of CID.”
Magambo said after realizing this, he started initiatives for the ideological conscious of CID officers through different refresher courses.
“We took them to go and train and add energy to this transformation agenda. As I speak now, we have 72 in Kabalye. That strategic goal of ideological consciousness can only be achieved when we train.”
The CID director said after training, placing the officers in the right offices and jobs is the next big thing.
“This has been a big struggle. There shouldn’t be such a thing that we speak the same language with director, we take malwa together or praying the same church and I should be favoured. What we are currently doing is fitting the right people in the right jobs. This is meant to make CID better.”
He said the journey has also involved improving the working environment for CID officers as well as ensuring everyone get leave to ensure they spend time with their families.
Magambo however urged the promoted officers to get income generating projects for themselves to ensure they have an extra source of income and not only rely on the government salary.
