MADI LEADERS ASK GOVERNMENT TO IMPROVE POLICE WELFARE

By Tasia Doreen

Moyo

A section of leaders of the greater madi sub region have appealed to the leadership of Uganda police force to improve on police welfare in order to improve on service delivery to the local people.

This appeal was made during the recent visit of the deputy IGP Maj. General Geoffrey Tumusime Katsigazi while meeting with stakeholders of northwest Nile region late last month at Nasera Annex in Moyo district to discuss matters of security in the region.

During the meeting, Mr. Peter Taban Data, the Adjumani Resident District Commissioner stressed highlighted insecurity cases in the region as a result of land conflict sighting Apaa dispute between the people of Madi in Adjumani and Acholi in Amuru districts where lives have been lost and properties worth millions destroyed with others displaced in the ongoing conflict.

Taban has blamed the continued killings destruction of properties in Apaa on inadequate human resource personals of Uganda police force to restore sanity for socio-economic development to improve lives of the local residents in the area. “Alongside the limited number of police officers in the region, the officers  are also facing transport challenges to respond to emergency situations as the most available transports like vehicles and motorcycles are in poor mechanical states coupled with meager budget for fuel for the department” he added.

Mr. Williams Anyama, the chairperson Moyo District remarked that there is need for the leadership of Uganda police force to look into the welfare of police officers in terms of transport means and accommodation to improve image of the force but most importantly for quality service delivery. “The issue of police welfare is very disappointing, these are human beings who deserve good quality of life, look at the nature of accommodation these people are sleeping in, issues to do with their facilitation, means of transport among others, all these may contribute to the corruption tendencies among individual officers while on duty and the institution as a whole,” Anyama remarked.

He further explained that the inadequate accommodation facilities for the officers has amounted to denial of freedom of enjoying their conjugal rights since most of them share rooms with their children hence affecting their privacy as parents.

Maj. General Geoffrey Tumusime Katsigazi, the deputy inspector general of police acknowledged the poor accommodation facilities saying that plans are underway to renovate the dilapidated buildings which have already started in some regions. “On human resource we have already asked government to allow us to recruit more people into the force, I know the demand for police service is high but we are trying our best to add the number including transport means among other equipment to aid our work, We are also working toward implementing presidential directive of having eighteen (18) officers in each sub county across the country to improve service delivery.  ” he explained .

During his visit in Moyo district, the deputy IGP inspected the regional police headquarters for northwest Nile, the housing unit at central police station, and police health center II, in all Moyo town council to ascertain their current status.

However during meeting with the stakeholders, it was revealed that four sub counties in Moyo district are operating without a police post though there are structures to accommodate them. Some of the sub counties include, Moyo, Lefori, Aluru, and Laropi.

COVER PHOTO: Photo of unipots (accommodation facilities for police officers). Courtesy Photo