Katabazi Re-emerges as Key Player in Regional Security Under Museveni’s Latest Appointments

The former Deputy Director of the Internal Security Organisation (ISO), Col. Emmy Katabazi, has been appointed Senior Presidential Advisor and Coordinator of Security and Intelligence, marking a significant return to the frontline of Uganda’s security architecture.

The appointment was made by President Yoweri Museveni, who also named several other senior figures to strategic advisory roles. Among them is former Foreign Affairs State Minister Philemon Mateke, now appointed Presidential Advisor on Regional Cooperation, and Odo Tayebwa, the former Member of Parliament for Bushenyi-Ishaka Municipality, who has been designated Senior Presidential Advisor on Poverty Alleviation.

Col. Katabazi’s rise back into a pivotal position comes after he was dropped as ISO Deputy Director General earlier this year. That reshuffle ushered in Mr. Arthur Mugyenyi as Director General, taking over from the late Brig. Gen. Charles Oluka, who tragically passed away on January 29, 2025. Oluka and Katabazi had jointly steered ISO since October 2020. In the same changes, Mr. Tony Kinyera Apecu was named as Katabazi’s successor in ISO’s deputy leadership.

The newly revived docket of Coordinator of Security and Intelligence Services has been dormant since 2012, the year Gen. David Sejusa—who previously held the position—fell out with the establishment. For more than a decade, the office remained unoccupied, leaving a critical coordination vacuum within Uganda’s intelligence structure.

During his tenure as ISO’s Deputy Director General, Col. Katabazi played an active and public-facing role, particularly in engaging students, youth leaders, and emerging professionals. He championed themes of patriotism, discipline, and national development, positioning himself as both a strategist and mentor within the security community.

In his new assignment, Col. Katabazi is expected to coordinate Uganda’s Security and Intelligence agencies, bringing them into closer alignment to ensure smoother harmonization of government activities. His mandate extends beyond national borders, with a strategic emphasis on cooperation within the East African and Great Lakes regions, areas where political, security, and economic interests have increasingly intertwined.

Well-known for his calm demeanor and sharp analytical approach, Katabazi is regarded as a seasoned figure within intelligence circles. With more than three decades of service under his belt, he brings a rare depth of institutional memory and operational experience. His latest portfolio not only reinstates him within Uganda’s security command chain but also positions him as a key player in regional intelligence collaboration.