By: Walter Okot
Omoro
The Assistant Inspector General of Police, Charles Birungi, has advised police officers to embrace saving to improve their income.
Birungi, also the Director of Welfare Production and Sports Uganda at the Uganda Police Force, said although the salary for police officers is insufficient, they could improve it if they saved 50,000 shillings monthly.
“Start saving now, if you think you will save when you are about to retire, it will be too late. Start saving now so that you build and by the time you are retiring, you have something for you”, Birungi said.
While making remarks as the chief guest during the commissioning of Omoro Central Police Station in Omoro district, Birungi advised the police officers to look for business ventures that can supplement their income.
“You are all aware that our salary is meager and it is not able to take us through the month, but if you can grab any chance where you can come up with any program which is income generating and add on your income it will be a good idea for you,” he said.
Commitment to improving welfare
Birungi also revealed that the Police Force is committed to improving the working conditions of the staff by providing the necessary infrastructure.
Statistics from the force indicate that annually, about 2,500 police and UPDF officers are recruited to fill the staffing and security gap, respectively.
“We have been doing the campaign of ensuring that all the new districts that were created and do not have police stations, get police stations and Omoro is one of them,” he said.
Felix Baryamwisaki, the Deputy Director of Construction and Land Management at the Uganda Police Force said the Omoro Central Police Station constructed by the police construction unit, has 18 offices, a CCTV Camera room, a store, and four modern cells for adult suspects and two for juveniles.
“We built this station to provide a conducive working and accommodation environment for police officers to do their work,” Baryamwisaki said.
Gertrude Temaiya, the Regional Police Commander of Aswa West Region, said the police station will help in the prevention of the violation of human rights, and reduce the stress of keeping suspects from escaping as there are enough cells in the facility.
According to Temaiya, other police stations mix juvenile offenders with adults or detain women at the counter due to a lack of cells for suspects.
She said the facility is one of the programs for the modernization and professionalization of the Uganda Police Force, in creating a conducive environment for both the community and police officers.
“We don’t need to escort the suspects to go and ease themselves out because the toilet facilities are inside the cells. I’m requesting that this should not only remain in Omoro but extend to other parts of the region.”
DPC decries thin manpower
Moses Akena, the District Police Commander of Omoro, said the district has only 100 police officers, leaving five out of 12 sub-counties and two town councils without police posts.
He requested the deployment of more police officers in the district so that other sub-counties and town councils also get police posts.
“The manpower of 100 police officers is not enough with only 12 trained investigators to meet the rising number of crimes,” Akena said.
Akena explained that according to the presidential directive of the sub-county policing model, each sub-county should have a minimum of 18 police officers.
District engaging NFA for land
Isaac Newton Ojok, the vice chairman of Omoro district, said the district through MP Omoro County is negotiating with the National Forest Authority (NFA) to degazette Opit Central Forest Reserve for the building of a magistrate court, Uganda Prison, and police public primary school.
Ojok said it would help the children of police officers to study nearby since the station is 3 kilometers away from urban areas and schools.
“As Omoro district local government, we value partnership and co-existence with police officers to ensure that effective and efficient service delivery is administered,” Ojok said.
Walter Okelakwo, the Omoro Town Council chairperson, said the establishment of the police station has reduced crime rates in the town council.
Okelakwo revealed that the town council has also donated 4 acres of land for the establishment of a police station.
