Quality of Police, a Source of Pride for the Force; Minister Otafiire Calls for Modernization and Emphasizes Frequent Training

By Ivan Kaahwa

The Uganda Police Force convened the 2 days 27th gathering of the Police Council, an annual session aimed at reviewing force policies, assessing implementation, recognizing achievements, and formulating strategies to meet evolving policing demands. The gathering was held at Police Headquarters in Naguru and was under the theme “Consolidating Modern Pro-active Community Policing through Technology for a Secure and Prosperous Society. “This gathering provides a platform for open and constructive dialogue crucial for influencing police force policies and strategies.

The Inspector General of Police, Martin Okoth Ochola, highlighted the necessity of embracing digitalized and scientific solutions to policing. “We must embrace and adjust to the new ideas, new systems, and new science and technology in policing our population and managing our human resource,” he said.

Minister for Internal Affairs Maj. General Kahinda Otafiire assured the council that the Ministry of Finance is actively working on allocating resources to enhance police capacity. This includes adopting the latest technology to address sophisticated crimes and modernizing to cope with the challenges posed by changing crime patterns.

Minister Otafiire emphasized the importance of modernization to effectively deal with contemporary issues and criticized police chiefs who fail to meet community policing needs. He recommended formalizing police structures and clarifying the roles of key officers, including the IGP, RPCs, and DPCs, to enhance operational efficiency. The Minister emphasized that Regional Police Commanders must stay current with developments in their policing territories, serving as representatives of the IGP at the regional level. He encouraged collaboration with DPCs to ensure crucial reports and effective communication, fostering the seamless operation of the force. He also stressed that Directors in the police force should be capable of making decisions without impeding systems.

Minister Otafiire acknowledged the mobility challenges faced by District Police Commanders, expressing a desire to make every DPC mobile. He highlighted ongoing efforts, despite limited resources due to vehicles being deployed to escort ministers, to address this need through initiatives in the pipeline at the Ministry of Finance. On housing, he directed the Undersecretary and PS (Permanent Secretary) to produce a report on officers’ housing enhancement within 90 days, effective 23rd November 2023.

Highlighting the welfare of police officers, Minister Otafiire advocated for each officer to have at least two pairs of clothes, warm suits, capes, and shoes.

Referring to a presidential directive to deploy 18 police officers per sub-county, the Minister emphasized the need for accurate deployment strategies which would require deployment of 36000 officers in all sub-counties in the country. He tasked the Inspector General of Police with determining the actual number of forces required and considering retirements, new recruits, and deployments to specific areas in need of police services. The Minister recommended deploying 20 officers per sub-county, with two reserves for unforeseen circumstances.

To enhance accountability, the Minister proposed decentralizing the Professional Standards Unit by introducing subcommittees at both regional and district levels to address queries locally. He emphasized the role of the Human Rights and Legal Services departments in ensuring standards, equality for officers, and the observance of human rights.

Acknowledging the K9 department’s role, Minister Otafiire emphasized the need for scientific crime management, pointing out the availability of 220 dogs for K9 services nationwide. He further stated that one dog can execute tasks equivalent to five officers efficiently emphasizing the significant role of K9 in managing crime.

In terms of motivation, the Minister pointed out that police promotions serve as a key incentive for service. He encouraged the promotion of officers with substantial service value, cautioning against retaining individuals of low value after assessments.

The Minister concluded by advising continuous retraining for crime preventers, Local Defense Units (LDUs), and Special Police Constables (SPCs) to uphold and enhance the force’s standards. He reiterated that the quality of the police force remains a source of pride for the entire institution.

@IvanKaahwa via X

#IvanKaahwaReports