Uganda’s efforts to strengthen crime investigation through technology and data analysis are taking shape, with the construction of a major Crime Data Analysis Centre at the Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID) nearing completion.
The development was highlighted on Monday, September 7, 2026, after CID Director AIGP Tom Magambo shared a message thanking President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni for his support towards the project.
Magambo was responding to a post by journalist Andrew Bagala, who shared an update showing that the CID building for crime data analysis is now close to completion. The photograph showed a large multi-storey building under construction, reflecting the scale of the facility.
“Comrade Bagala. My colleagues and I, are grateful to Mzee @KagutaMuseveni for the support on that project,” Magambo wrote.
The new facility is expected to play an important role in improving how Uganda collects, studies and uses crime information. Rather than relying mainly on individual reports and traditional investigative methods, the centre is intended to help investigators identify crime patterns and trends through the use of data.
The project was launched in 2025 as a state-of-the-art seven-storey Crime Data Analysis Centre at the CID headquarters in Kibuli. At the time, officials described it as a major step towards evidence-based and intelligence-led policing in Uganda.
The centre is expected to provide investigators with better tools to identify areas where particular crimes are increasing, understand how criminal activities are changing and support quicker decisions by law enforcement agencies.
The need for such a facility has become increasingly important as criminals adopt new methods, particularly through technology. CID boss Tom Magambo previously warned that criminal activities were increasingly moving into cyberspace and called for stronger digital systems, databases and analytical capacity to help investigators respond to modern crime.
The facility is also expected to strengthen coordination within the criminal justice system by making important crime information easier to analyse and use. Officials have previously said that the centre would support the identification of crime hotspots, improve deployment of resources and contribute to more proactive crime prevention.
The construction of the building is part of wider changes taking place at CID under Magambo’s leadership. These include the digitisation of crime reporting and greater emphasis on modern investigative methods, training and the use of technology.
The completion of the centre would therefore mark another major milestone in Uganda’s efforts to modernise its criminal investigations. With crime becoming more complex and increasingly connected to technology, having a dedicated facility for analysing information could give investigators a stronger basis for detecting patterns and responding to emerging threats.
As the building moves closer to completion, attention will now turn to when the facility will become fully operational and the impact it will have on crime investigation and prevention across the country.
