12 police chiefs in office illegally

Contracts of 12 Assistant Inspectors General of Police (AIGP) serving as directors in the Uganda Police have expired but they have continued serving in office without official renewal, Daily Monitor has established.

One of the affected officers, who did not want to be named, said they had raised the issue in their Police Accounts Committee meetings with the Inspector General of Police(IGP), Mr Martins Okoth-Ochola, during the last police council meeting but received no reply.

“We all expressed our intention in writing to the Police Authority to have our contracts renewed but we don’t know what is happening. We will just continue doing our work,” one of the directors said yesterday.
Other affected directors, who are at the rank of AIGP, are Mr Asan Kasingye (Chief Political Commissar), Mr Lemmy Twinomujuni (Welfare and Production), Mr Joseph Mugisa (Fire and Rescue Services), and Mr Edward Ochom (Research and Planning).
Others are: Mr Felix Ndyomugenyi (Deputy Director for Human Resource Development, Mr Abas Byakagaba (Counter Terrorism), Mr John Ndungutse (Security Attache to Uganda’s High Commission in Nairobi) Mr Haruna Isabirye (Human Resource Development), Mr Grace Turyagumanawe (Peace Support Operations).

Others are: Mr Francis Rwego (Special Interpol Representative to the African Union), Mr Andrew Sorowen (Special Duties), and Hajj Moses Balimwoyo (Interpol and International relations).

This is not the first time the officers’ contracts have expired. Their contracts first expired between November 2017 and February 2018 and they applied for an extension. The senior officers were granted a one-year extension which expired at the end of 2019.

The police spokesperson, Mr Fred Enanga confirmed the contracts of the 12 police directors expired but said the matter was with the police authority.

Daily Monitor could not reach the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Internal Affairs, Dr Benon Mutambi, for a comment. He is the Secretary to the Police Authority.

However, this newspaper has seen a January 7 letter from the Minister of Internal Affairs, Gen Jeje Odongo, giving a breather to the affected directors to stay in office pending the decision of the President, who is the appointing authority.

However, a concerned citizen identified as Lodovic Kwehangana, is opposed to the directors’ continued stay in office and has given Gen Odongo seven days to withdraw the directive to the IGP.

“Take notice therefore that if within seven days, you the Inspector General of Police do not cause the said officers to vacate the offices and you Sir, the Attorney General cause the withdraw of Annexture ‘A’ (the Minister’s letter) we shall file legal proceedings and seek their immediate eviction,” the January 10 letter to the IGP and Attorney General, Mr William Byaruhanga reads in part.

Mr Kwehangana’s notice to take the Attorney General to court comes barely two months after High Court Justice Henrietta Wolayo ordered AIGP Godfrey Bangirana to vacate the office of Director of Logistics and Engineering until final disposal of the case. AIGP Bangirana together with the Attorney General were dragged to court by Isaac Maddo saying his continued stay in office was illegal because his contract had expired.
AIGP Bangirana had to leave office.