Uganda Intelligence Briefing: Museveni Appoints Arthur Mugyenyi as ISO Chief Amid Rising Regional Tensions
Briefing written by Ujasusi Blog Team
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Kampala, Uganda — April 2025 | In a major move reshaping Uganda’s intelligence establishment, President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has appointed seasoned intelligence officer Arthur Mugyenyi as the new Director General of the Internal Security Organisation (ISO). This appointment comes in the wake of the untimely death of Brigadier General Charles Oluka, the former ISO chief, in January 2025.
The reshuffle also saw Tony Kinyera Apecu named as the new Deputy Director General of ISO, replacing Colonel Emmy Katabazi, a long-serving political intelligence figure, who has now been posted as Deputy Ambassador. These appointments signal a recalibration of Uganda’s internal intelligence machinery amid growing domestic political tensions, regional espionage rivalries, and the persistent threat of cross-border subversion and terrorism in East and Central Africa.
This strategic restructuring of Uganda’s domestic intelligence command reflects a broader pattern in President Museveni’s consolidation of power through loyal, technocratic intelligence operatives. The developments also underscore the expanding role of internal intelligence agencies in election surveillance, counter-espionage, and domestic stability operations ahead of the 2026 Ugandan general elections.
The transition also reflects broader themes in African intelligence governance, where informal power structures, elite patronage networks, and state survival strategies define the operation and utility of national intelligence systems.
What is ISO? Understanding the Internal Security Organisation's Strategic Role in Uganda’s Intelligence Ecosystem
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