IGP promises more promotions

The Inspector General of Police Martins Okoth-Ochola has said they are processing a list of more officers, who missed out in the promotion.  

Last Friday, President Museveni promoted 773 gazetted police officers, but it was a drop in the ocean because he had taken more than six years without elevating senior police personnel. 

“Uganda Police Force management is yet planning another round of promotions for other deserving officers, who were not able to benefit from this particular list,” IGP Ochola said at the police headquarters in Naguru, Kampala, yesterday.

More than 254 of the 773 promoted officers were decorated with new ranks yesterday at the headquarters. 

Police spokesperson Fred Enanga was promoted from the rank of Commissioner of Police to Senior Commissioner of Police.

Promotions often come with excitement for the beneficiaries while those left out tend to complain and they accuse the management of unfairness. 

Several investigations on how some officers ended up on promotion lists have been carried out before. 

IGP Ochola did not say when the new promotions process will be completed. 

Ochola said the elevation comes with new responsibilities and leadership tasks, but they should be ready to shoulder them with humility.

“As senior officers, the junior officers will be looking to you for leadership. I say to all of us, let us aspire to this leadership position,” he said. 

He said one of the most urgent priorities is to provide decent accommodation for their officers and also improve their general welfare.    

The Director of Police Administration, Brig Gen Jesse Kamunanwire, said the promotion is an indicator of hard work and dedication of the officers. 

“Promotion isn’t a mere change of decoration, but advancement from a position to another which is higher salaried with higher job title, higher responsibility and higher expectation from the institution, from the department, the community and your family,” Brig Gen Kamunanwire said. 

Assistant Inspector General of Police Richard Edyegu, who represented the promoted officers, said the promotions have rejuvenated them.

“You have fired us up. You have energised us. You have rejuvenated us. You have transfused and oxygenated us. And you have wiped our tears. For some of our officers, who had given up, you have given them hope. You have answered our prayers,” said AIGP Edyegu, the director of Logistics. 

He said one of the promoted officers had spent 30 years on the rank of Inspector and could not believe it when he appeared on the promotion list. 

Police in brief

The Uganda Police Force was first established as Uganda armed constabulary in 1899 with the main aim of maintaining public order. The recruitment procedures, organization and training were based on the Royal Irish Constabulary mode of armed policing.

Recruitment was based on the basis of physical fitness and aggressive tendencies. Preferred qualities were people aged 17-25 years, height (not below 5 feet 6 inches) and a chest size (not less than 33 inches). Bravery and courage in the police work were judged according to the extent to which local resistance was suppressed, with little regard to force used in suppressing the resistance.

It was created in response to crime and administrative requirements of the colonial government. 

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