Police Crime Intelligence Chief Under Fire as NRM-Clad Gangs Unleash Violence in Kampala

 Major General Chris Damulira, the Director of Crime Intelligence within the Uganda Police Force, is facing intense scrutiny following the emergence of shocking videos depicting gangs, some donning ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) T-shirts, assaulting citizens on Kampala streets. The incidents have reignited long-standing concerns that Damulira’s initiative to “reform” ghetto youth has instead fostered state-protected criminal elements.

Since 2020, Maj. Gen Damulira has been at the forefront of a program aimed at rehabilitating urban youth, frequently presenting these groups to President Yoweri Museveni as success stories. This initiative has reportedly seen nearly UGX 3 billion extended to various youth SACCOs under Damulira’s coordination.

Damulira has consistently framed his efforts as a counter to opposition parties, whom he accuses of exploiting ghetto youth for political rallies without genuinely improving their lives. A police officer close to Damulira affirmed earlier this year, “He is helping these boys, not just giving them money. They are now doing things like welding, shoe making, art, and craft. But the opposition just used them for rallies and demos.” Over 50 such groups are said to have been established across Kampala suburbs, including Kamwokya, Kibuli, Katwe, Ndeeba, Naguru, and Kasokoso.

Mounting Criticism and Echoes of “Boda boda 2010”

However, Damulira’s program has drawn sharp criticism from politicians and even within the security establishment. Critics argue that the initiative has inadvertently created criminal gangs who believe they operate with impunity due to perceived state protection.

“We’ve been telling him he’s building another Boda boda 2010-type gang like the one formed under Gen Kale Kayihura,” a senior security officer lamented. “Let him now come out and defend this madness.” Boda boda 2010 was a notorious gang formed in 2010 that became synonymous with lawlessness in Kampala, eventually being dismantled in 2018 after accusations of murder, robbery, and extortion.

Another security officer went further, alleging that the initiative has become a “money-minting project” exploiting the President’s goodwill. “The day I saw a colleague carrying a sack of money to the ghettos in Kasokoso on Damulira’s orders, I knew this was a business,” the officer claimed.

The recent violent incidents, particularly those on Saturday, where gangs reportedly targeted road users heading to Kololo for President Museveni’s nomination, have, according to security officials, vindicated their long-held concerns. “These gangs have made parts of Kampala no-go zones. We warned him. Let him now clean up the mess,” a senior officer stated.

Among the victims of Saturday’s attacks was retired AIGP Grace Akullo, former CID and Interpol director, whose phone was stolen at an ATM on Nile Avenue. Her son, who was waiting in their vehicle, was also attacked, injured, and robbed before being admitted to Mulago Hospital.

Police spokesperson ACP Kituuma Rusoke confirmed arrests in connection with the recent violence. “We have arrested some of the suspects and are pursuing others. We cannot allow gangs to victimise residents,” Rusoke stated.

The NRM spokesperson, Emmanuel Dombo, swiftly distanced the ruling party from the gangs.³ “It is not our operation to have gangs. We don’t work with such groups. We have asked the IGP to probe and hold accountable whoever mobilised them,” he asserted.

Maj Gen Damulira appeared on a Kampala radio station on Sunday to defend his initiative, asserting that the youth groups under his supervision are not involved in criminal activities. However, in a brief interview with URN, he added, “I have not received such a report from my field officers or group leaders,” without confirming if his Directorate of Crime Intelligence would investigate the perpetrators.

Reports indicate that one of the groups allegedly under Damulira’s coordination is “Al-Qaeda,” based in Kibuli. This group was reportedly implicated in the 2023 killing of an 18-year-old student, an incident that prompted an army raid on their hideout.⁴

The group involved in Saturday’s attacks is said to have originated from Lubaga, led by Ivan Kamuntu, also known as Majembere, who has since pledged to assist police in tracking down those seen in the viral videos.⁵

Maj Gen Damulira joined the Uganda Police Force in 2019 as a Colonel, was promoted to Brigadier in 2021, and just last week was elevated to Major General by the Chief of Defence Forces, Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba. Security sources also allege that these same gangs were utilised to incite violence during the Kawempe North by-election in March, reportedly working in conjunction with the Special Forces Command (SFC), Joint Anti-Terrorism Task Force (JATT), and police.

The current unrest has put a spotlight on the effectiveness and accountability of state-led youth initiatives, raising serious questions about the potential for such programs to be exploited for illicit gains and to foster lawlessness rather than reform.