CID faces severe staffing crisis, detectives overwhelmed with cases

Director of Criminal Investigations (CID) AIGP Tom Magambo has highlighted a critical staffing crisis within the directorate, revealing that each detective is burdened with an average of 54 cases per year. This figure starkly contrasts with the global benchmark of 12 cases per detective, indicating a severe strain on investigative resources.

During a meeting with the Parliamentary Committee on Defense and Internal Affairs, AIGP Magambo outlined immediate plans to address the personnel deficit. The police leadership is exploring internal recruitment as a primary strategy to bolster the CID’s ranks. “The first immediate measure we are going to internally try to beef up the numbers within the police family first,” Magambo stated.

However, Magambo emphasized that simply increasing the number of investigators is not a complete solution. He pointed to the evolving nature of crime, with criminals increasingly leveraging digital spaces and artificial intelligence. This necessitates a significant enhancement of the CID’s technical capacity to investigate technology-driven offenses.

To combat these modern criminal tactics, CID aims to accelerate the development of its digital investigation infrastructure. Furthermore, Magambo called for the integration of databases across various government and security institutions. He argued that fragmented information systems impede investigations, and investigators require swift, authorized access to relevant data to effectively connect suspects, incidents, and evidence.

The parliamentary committee also inspected the Crime Data Centre, a facility crucial for supporting contemporary criminal investigations, particularly those involving digital and data-driven crime. While its completion has faced delays, the directorate anticipates new targets by March of the following year. Funding remains a persistent challenge, though Magambo acknowledged the committee’s role in assessing infrastructure resource allocation.

Despite these obstacles, CID remains dedicated to refining its investigative processes and reducing crime. Magambo stressed that the ultimate measure of success lies in citizens feeling secure enough to move freely without constant police presence, rather than solely relying on crime statistics. Kampala Woman MP Shamim Malende pledged the committee’s support in securing the necessary funds to finalize the new CID offices by 2027.

This situation comes in the wake of a reported decline in overall crime in Uganda over the past four years, with reported cases dropping from 231,653 in 2023 to 196,405 in 2025. This trend underscores the urgency of strengthening the CID’s capacity to manage the existing and future caseload effectively.

Read more at: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/cid-decries-staffing-crisis-as-each-detective-handles-54-cases-a-year-5575622