One year later, police yet to get new houses
A police officer at his house in Kibuli Police Barracks. The government hopes to build new houses for the Force. PHOTO BY Abubaker Lubowa.
What you need to know:
The government had hoped to relocate the police to other areas outside the city as the Kampala barracks are refurbished to improve the officers’ living conditions.
KAMPALA
A project geared at constructing more than 7,300 housing units for police officers has not taken off one year after the Force got bidders for the same.
The police management had hoped to end the housing crisis that has hit the law and order enforcers for so long.
The deputy Inspector General of Police, Mr Martin Okoth-Ochola, had earlier said the project was to commence mid this year with the shifting of police officers from the city barracks to the outskirts of Kampala.
The Entebbe barracks and Kibuli Police Training School, whose bidders did not meet the required standards, have also not yet been re-tendered. Through the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) project, the police were to give out big chunks of land of its city barracks to investors who would in turn construct the housing units.
The Inspector General of Police, Lt. Gen. Kale Kayihura, according to sources, had also anticipated the project to have kicked off. The Police PPP project manager, Mr Jim Mugunga, said procurement process had not delayed but some procedures have to be followed and they take a long time.
“Our negotiations with the investors who won the bid in the three lots are in advanced stages, and the two lots which didn’t get a successful bidder are to be re-tendered very soon,” Mr Mugunga said.
Contractor
Ahadi Consortium company won the contract to redevelop Nsambya, Naguru-Ntinda, Kira, Wandegeya, Mabuya, and Acacia plots. The delay to implement the project may be detrimental to the officers given the fact that police have been recruiting more officers into the Force.
A fortnight ago, wives of police officers staged a demonstration over power, water disconnection, and poor living conditions. Many new officers are either sleeping in dormitories, in tents or in dilapidated buildings in Naguru and other police barracks.
According to the Police Statistical Abstract of 2010, the Force has an aggregated accommodation ratio of about 49 per cent. This means that the available capacity of dwelling units in the police barracks can adequately accommodate 49 per cent of their resident personnel or two families.
