Cost of securing Uganda’s judicial officials

KAMPALA. A fortnight ago, senior state attorney Joan Kagezi was shot dead in Kiwatule, a Kampala suburb, as she made a stopover to buy fruits at a roadside stall. The shocking incident sparked debate on the safety of judicial officials.
Ms Kagezi, was a prosecutor of the July 2010 terror attack case, and had no escorts at the time her killers gunned her down.
In the aftermath of her death, Internal Affairs minister Aronda Nyakairima said Ms Kagezi had guards while Justice minister Maj Gen Kahinda Otafiire said government was yet to deploy guards for some judicial officials.
However, it’s now emerging that Ms Kagezi might not have got personal security because her position was below those entitled to escorts and guards.
Police spokesman Fred Enanga said officers at her level are not entitled to police security unless there are likely threats on their lives.
“That is what we are doing right now to some judicial officers whom we have given security. Others will enjoy general security which we are strengthening,” Mr Enanga said.
Of the 654 judicial officials including judges, prosecutors and magistrates, only 74 are entitled to personal security. Judicial officials with the privileges of personal security are judges of the High Court, Court of Appeal and Supreme Court. Each judge is given an escort and three to five police guards at his or her residence. The Director of Public Prosecutions and the deputy too get the same security detail.
If the remaining 585 judicial officials are also given personal security, a total number of police officers to protect them would be around 2,000 for just 12-hour security service.
It should however, be noted that after the killing of Special Police Constable Aristo Rwegimana, after leaving his guard station at the home of Dr Jimmy Samanya, the permanent secretary of ICT ministry, at Namere village in Kanyanya in 2013, police rules were changed.
New police standards phased out a single police officer guarding a residence and recommended a minimum of two officers at a time.
So it would require at least six officers to protect the life of a judicial official for 24 hours. This means the total number will double to 4,000 police officers.
Mr Solomon Muyita, a senior communication officer of the Judiciary, said some chief magistrates, especially those based in urban areas, have expressed fear for their lives.
“But we told them that we are taking administrative measures to improve their security,” Mr Muyita said in an interview.
Administratively, the judiciary is still evaluating whether to give security to those handling sensitive cases until they are disposed of but the definition of sensitive is still remains.
The decision would also look into the funding of the police providing personal security. The judiciary spends between Shs10,000 to Shs30,000 in form of allowances and other emoluments a day on each police officer providing security to their structures or personnel. If judicial officers are given personal security, the total cost on security would shoot above Shs2b annually. Police’s Very Important Persons Protection Unit (VIPPU) mandated to protect people who are vulnerable targets, is also not doing well on numbers.
Counter Terrorism Directorate spokesman David Wasswa says VIPPU’s strength is around 2,000 officers. This means Counter Terrorism would have to train another 4,000 officers in VIP protection skills to fully protect all the judicial officers.
The entire police force’s strength staggers around 45,000 to 47,000 officers giving a ratio of one police officer to 755 people.
The UN minimum standard ratio is an officer for 500 people.
Removing six police officers from the 45,000 police strength to protect each of the 585 judicial officers literally means 4,500 people will be left without security.
Human rights lawyer Ladislaus Rwakafuzi does not believe personal security is an end in itself.
“What we need is security for everybody,” Mr Rwakafuzi said.
He cited the incident in Bugiri District where two guards of High Court Judge Faith Mwondha were shot dead and their guns taken.
“If the Judge would be there, they [killers] would get her after killing her guards,” he said.