Maj. Gen. Kandiho new Uganda Police Chief of Staff

Former Commandant of the Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI) boss Major General Abel Kandiho is the new Chief of Joint Staff at the Uganda Police Force.

Defence Deputy Spokesperson Lt. Col Ronald Kakurungu on Tuesday, February 8, 2022, confirmed President Yoweri Museveni who is the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces had appointed  Maj. Gen. Kandiho who will now replace Maj Gen Jack Bakasumba.

“H.E the President and Commander in Chief of the Defence Forces has appointed Maj. Gen Abel Kandiho as Chief of Joint Staff of Uganda Police Force replacing Maj. Gen Jack Bakasumba who has been appointed the Ugandan Delegate to the South Sudan Peace Monitoring Mechanism,” Lt. Col. Kakurungu posted on Tweeter. 

Kandiho's reappointment as Police Chief of Staff comes two weeks after Museveni dropped him as long-serving CMI boss on January 25, 2022, replacing him with Former Special Forces Command boss, Maj. Gen. James Birungi.

Maj. Gen. Kandiho was sent to South Sudan as a defence attaché replacing Maj. Gen. Birungi.  Major Gen. Bakasumba will now replace Kandiho who sources said had not yet relocated to Juba.

He now joins a long list of senior army officers who have since been appointed to the Police force.

The military men include newly appointed Deputy Inspector General of Police Maj. General Geoffrey Katsigazi Tumusiime appointed as Deputy IGP to replace the late Lt. Gen. Paul Lokech who passed away in August last year.

In 2019, President Museveni seconded to the army several senior army officers which saw three directors transferred. Former Assistant IGP Moses Balimwoyo was replaced by Brig Jesse Kamunanwire as the Director Human Resource Administration.

In another transfer, Assistant IGP Haruna Isabirye, who has been the police director in charge of Human Resource and Development was replaced by Brig. Godfrey Golooba.

Senior Commissioner of Police, Godfrey Chombe who has been the director in charge of Crime Intelligence was replaced by Brig. Ddamulira Sserunjogi.

Maj. Gen. Bakasumba was appointed as Chief of joint staff during that reshuffle.

Kandiho’s removal as head of CMI followed the US government announcement of sanctions against him last December for alleged torture and human rights abuses.

Kandiho was appointed CMI chief in January 2017 and since his appointment, the army’s intelligence wing has been engaged in a number of operations to rid the country of criminals working together with police.