'No Police recruitment this financial year'

Despite the low Police officers to citizen ratio in the country, the Uganda Police Force will not recruit this financial year, Deputy Inspector General of Police Geoffrey Tumusiime Katsigazi has said.

“We have delayed recruitment although our numbers are low. We had put it in our budget to recruit a sizeable number of officers, but we were told that because of budget constraints, we will not be allowed to recruit.

But we have put in a special request,” he says, adding that the finance ministry and that of the public service are considering whether to allow Police recruitment.

According to him, the Police officer-to-citizen ratio for Uganda stands at about 1:900 compared to the recommended international ratio of 1:500. 

Katsigazi was reacting to a query raised by Frederick Angura (Tororo South County legislator) who is the Parliamentary Accounts Committee whip.

“We want to hear from you regarding the various quotas. We have had complaints on quotas allocated per district. People coming from elsewhere recruited in districts they do not belong; you should consider allocating quotas per sub-county," Angura said.

“We appreciate the Police promotions, but we would have expected that the officers in acting capacity be promoted. Why did you forget about them if they are performing?” Angura said.

Reacting to the queries, Katsigazi said: “Ranks come with the officer holding the substantive office. They are supposed to have served for a certain period.

However, we consider competencies as well. For example, in the forensics department, the head was fast-tracked because of his competence in science and he is leading the forensic department. He is not old in Police, but because of his competence, he is a leader in forensics but the rank is not commensurate".

"It [promotion] also has financial implications. That competence could not be found in Police in high-level Police officers. Like forensic. The rank is not commensurate but he has been fast-tracked for some time, but cannot be immediately promoted. However, soon, such people will be promoted. Also, as you all know it has financial implications as earlier indicated,” he said.

Kwizera Eddie (Bukimbiri MP) said: “A whole sub-county does not have a single Police officer, but one citizen has six Police officers policing (sic) them. How do you relate that to the low numbers?”

Basalirwa Asuman Bugiri municipality MP and VC PAC central

What is a general policy of deployment and attachment? What informs an individual to have six police officers guarding them yet a whole sub-county has none?

Aogon Cyrus (Kumi Municipality) wanted to know the total number of police officers deployed privately for individuals.

Deputy Chair and MP Bugiri municipality Asuman Basalirwa during the committee

This was on Thursday during a meeting between the Public Accounts Committee and Police over the Auditor General’s queries in the previous financial year.