70,000 UPDF, prisons officers among poll security deployment

Kampala.

At least 70,000 UPDF, prison warders and intelligence officers are among the 150,000 security personnel that have been deployed for today’s general election.

Last month, Uganda Police Force and Electoral Commission recruited 36,000 constables who will help the 48,000 police officers during the election period.

“Uganda police has the mandate to maintain law and order. In so doing, we have deployed 150,000 personnel across the country to ensure peaceful election period,” Mr Enanga said yesterday.

He added that each polling station will have one unarmed police officer inside, two armed officers outside the polling centre, 36 security personnel at every sub-county, 12 at tallying centres, and 55 standby law enforcers in 112 districts.

“We are working hand-in-hand with our sister security agencies among them are the UPDF, Prisons Service and intelligence officers. These will ensure that we have peaceful elections,” Mr Enanga said.

While issuing out the guidelines for all election law enforcement officers yesterday, Mr Andrew Felix Kaweesi, the Assistant Inspector General of Police, also director of human resource said they are operating as a composite of the security forces.

“The Uganda police is taking the lead, we have the UPDF with all their specialised units, we have the intelligence officers both internal and external, we have the Uganda Wildlife Authority supporting us and we have all these groups that will work with us and Special Police Constables as well, all are guided by these guidelines,” Mr Kaweesi said.

Ugandans will today choose the country’s number one citizen (president) and Members of Parliament. The voting exercise starts in the morning and ends at exactly 4pm and the results are expected to be announced in 48 hours.