The Uganda Police Force has released its Annual Crime Report for 2025, showing a decline in crime levels and highlighting progress in law enforcement and coordination.
The report, released on March 30, 2026, provides an overview of crime trends, patterns and police performance over the past year. It is also intended to guide planning, accountability and public awareness.
Inspector General of Police Abbas Byakagaba said the report reflects the collective efforts of the force and other security agencies.
“The report provides an analysis of crime trends, patterns and collective efforts of the force. It is a tool for accountability, transparency and strategic planning. The report indicates that crime dropped by 10% in comparison to the 4.1% in 2024,” Byakagaba said.
He attributed the decline to improved command structures and coordination within the force.
“This milestone is attributed to several factors. We realised there is a clear chain of command and control which has improved decision making. I am confident that under my stewardship, the UPF shall continue to improve command capabilities through training and mentorship at all levels,” he added.
Byakagaba also pointed to stronger inter-agency collaboration under the Chief of Defence Forces, Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, as a key factor in improving operations.
“The existence of a strong interagency mechanism under the leadership of the Chief of Defence Forces of the UPDF, Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba has enhanced effective cleaning of our capabilities. I thank all the members of the inter-agency,” he said.
He further highlighted the role of the sub-county policing model, which has so far covered 56 per cent of sub-counties. He said the approach has helped bring services closer to communities.
The police also reported increased investment in crime-fighting tools such as CCTV systems, canine units, forensics and other technology. Authorities say these have improved detection and response.
Director of Criminal Investigations AIGP Tom Magambo said crime cases reduced by 10.2 per cent, with 196,405 cases recorded in 2025.
“The public needs to know that in our current capacity as CID we are working on a 1:55 ratio of detective case load, while the global desirable ratio is 1:12. This explains the huge case backlog we have,” Magambo said.
He said the CID continues to handle high workloads despite improvements in performance.
The report also highlights ongoing challenges, including case backlogs and emerging threats such as drug abuse among young people.
Police say they will continue to work with other stakeholders to address these gaps while strengthening crime prevention and response systems.
