Brigadier General Christopher Sserunjogi Damulira, has been promoted to Major General in the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF).
The upgrade reportedly came straight from President Yoweri Museveni, a leader known for personally fine-tuning both his military and his legacy. As Commander-in-Chief, Museveni’s pen remains mightier than any parliamentary vote.
Damulira assumed command of Crime Intelligence in 2019, stepping into a chaotic capital where crime was up, trust was down, and eyes were everywhere. A master of discretion and surveillance, he quickly earned a reputation as Uganda’s “phantom general”—ubiquitous but rarely seen.
Since then, intelligence systems have undergone a transformation. Critics say “paranoia is now a policy,” but supporters argue that the country has never been more “aware” of itself. Surveillance cameras popped up like mushrooms after a tropical rain. Citizens learned to speak in hushed tones, even to themselves.
Among his more “patriotic” accomplishments: the dismantling of ADF sleeper cells—though some ask why those cells were sleeping so peacefully under everyone’s nose for years. He also helped crack down on suspects behind major attacks, like the 2021 attempted assassination of General Edward Katumba Wamala and the 2017 killing of AIGP Andrew Felix Kaweesi—cases that read like cold war thrillers but with more budget cuts.
Thanks to Damulira’s leadership, Crime Intelligence has become less of a directorate and more of a shadow empire, quietly reshaping how Uganda does security and how Ugandans do conversation.
For his efforts, Damulira received the Exemplary Order of Service (Class II) medal during the 61st Independence Day celebrations—though whether independence and intelligence can coexist remains an open question.
