Police most corrupt institution-UBOS

Inspector General of Police Gen. Kale Kayihura. File photo

KAMPALA. Ugandans believe the Uganda Police Force is most corrupt institution according to a survey carried out by Uganda Bureau of Statistic (UBOS), a government agency.

UBOS’ National Service Delivery Survey of 2015 based on 10,101 Ugandan respondents put the police at 75 per cent as far as bribery, fraud and extortion are concerned.

“Majority of the respondents ranked the police as most corrupt government institution. There is need for strengthening enforcement of laws on corruption,” reads the report.

When reached for a comment, Mr Fred Enanga, the police spokesman, referred Daily Monitor to his Deputy Ms Polly Namaye, saying he was out of office. However, Ms Namaye also requested for more time claiming she was occupied with meetings.

Uganda police was in December 2015, ranked as the most corrupt institution in a survey that was conducted by The Afrobarometer in conjunction with Transparency International.

The study that was dubbed People and corruption: Africa Survey 2015 in 36 countries across the Africa region put the police at 63 per cent. Over 69 per cent of the Ugandan respondents said corruption was generally on the increase.

In 2012, the Police Force was named the most corrupt institution in the country in an annual corruption report by the inspectorate of government in collaboration with the Economic Policy Research Center of Makerere University.
In 2014 alone, over 70 police officers were arrested over numerous felonies that among others involved extortion, bribery and concealing exhibits by PSU.

Last week, Mr Siraje Bakaleke, the Kampala East police commander, arrested two of his own officers for allegedly mishandling exhibits. This was barely a week after the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Gen Kale Kayihura had held him responsible for the security lapses during the martyrs’ day celebrations where an 8-year-old girl was raped.

Mr Ben Paul Mungyereza, the executive director, UBOS, challenged stakeholders to accept and interpret the statistics correctly rather than criticize the body that disseminates them.

“Statistical information reveals other than conceals a situation pertaining say to a sector, a community or other area of interest and concern,” Mr Mungyereza said.

Ms Adah Muwanga, irector human resource management at the public service ministry, applauded UBOS for disseminating statistics saying they enable review of sector performances.