Name new police chief quickly, FDC urges Museveni

Hours after former Inspector General of Police Martins Okoth-Ochola bowed out of office yesterday, the Opposition Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) asked President Museveni to quickly name his replacement.

Mr Ochola handed over office to his deputy, Maj Gen Geoffrey Tumusiime Katsigazi, at the end of his second three-year contract term yesterday, March 4.

A spokesman for FDC’s Najjanankumbi faction, Mr John Kikonyogo, on March 4 said it is becoming a bad habit for the government to let employee contracts run out with no clear succession plan in place, which leaves key offices without substantive officers. He said this tendency cripples service delivery.

One such example is Bank of Uganda, which has been operating without a substantive Governor two years after the death of former bank head, Prof Emmanuel Tumussime Mutebile, in January 2022. Since Mutebile’s passing, the President, who is the appointing authority for that constitutional office, has not named a replacement. The central bank is currently running under Deputy Governor Michael Atingi-Ego.

However, Mr Atingi-Ego’s leadership has recently been challenged in court by a private citizen who alleges he is holding fort illegally. 

Article 213(2) of the Constitution of Uganda provides for the appointment of the police chief by the President with the approval of Parliament.

In similar fashion, last year the country lost the State minister for Labour, Employment and Industrial Relations, Col (rtd) Charles Okello Engola, who was shot dead by his bodyguard in May. Almost a year later, the position remains unfilled by the President.

It is against that background that the FDC expressed fears the police could face a similar fate if the President does not act immediately.

“Now the command structure [of the police] is somehow cut, who is responsible? We are concerned that whenever you leave a vacuum even the command structure of police has a problem. The deputy IGP cannot work as IGP without powers given to him, why do we have people in acting capacity in Uganda,” Mr Kikonyogo said during a media briefing at FDC headquarters in Najjanankumbi, Kampala.

Mr Kikonyogo noted that more than 60,000 vacancies remain unfilled in the Public Service, according to findings contained in the latest report of the Auditor General. The 2023 report reveals that 60,847 of 133,670 approved positions in 75 government ministries, departments, and agencies were still vacant.

Mr Kikonyogo also said replacing Mr Ochola at the earliest opportunity will create room for promotions in the police down the chain of command.

“When you replace Mr Ochola today with the Deputy Inspector General of Police, someone else will be promoted to that position where they have removed that person,” he said.

Addressing the media yesterday, police spokesperson, Mr Fred Enanga lauded the former IGP for his immense contribution and inspired leadership. Mr Enanga told journalists at his weekly media briefing that for now, Maj Gen Katsigazi will hold the top police job temporarily pending the appointment of a substantive IGP.

“The outgoing IGP was very critical to the great success of the Police Force in the past six years, where he led the police to higher levels of achievement with his talent and managerial skill,” Mr Enanga said.

Mr Ochola replaced Gen Kale Kayihura in March 2018.

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