Uganda Mourns the Loss of Former Police Chief, John Chris Bakiza

The passing of John Chris Bakiza, renowned for his leadership as the former director of the Criminal Investigations Directorate within the Uganda Police Force, has been confirmed.

Bakiza, remembered not only as a specialist in constitutional law but also as an external examiner at the Law Development Centre (LDC), began his career in law enforcement in 1980. Joining as one of the initial 26 graduate cadet officers, he entered the force alongside John Cossy Odomel, a retired Inspector General of Police (IGP), as well as other notable figures like Gen David Tinyefuza, Jim Muhwezi, and Elizabeth Muwanga.

During his training at the Police Academy in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, Bakiza and Odomel assumed leadership roles as student cadets. Upon returning to Uganda, Bakiza held diverse positions across various locations, including the Central Police Station (CPS) in Kampala, Katwe, and Moroto, before joining the CID headquarters at Impala House in 1984.

Starting as a CID detective Assistant Superintendent of Police, Bakiza later supervised the OC/CID Bank of Uganda exchange for three years until 1990. He was then elevated to the rank of Assistant Commissioner of Police, overseeing the Directorate of Legal Services at the former police headquarters in Kampala.

From 1992 to 1996, he managed the roles of director of Administration and Finance, followed by Director of Operations. Between 1997 and 1999, Bakiza served as the director of CID headquarters in Kampala before retiring in 2000 to establish his private law firm, Bakiza and Company Advocates. His passing marks the end of an era for Uganda’s law enforcement community.