Odwee tells Museveni to stop stuffing police with soldiers
Former Deputy Inspector General of Police Julius Odwee. PHOTO | FILE
What you need to know:
- Former deputy IGP Julius Odwee says there is no evidence that efforts were made to look within the police force for competent people to fill the positions that the soldiers occupy.
A former Deputy Inspector General of Police has written to President Museveni, accusing him of working to the detriment of the Uganda Police Force by continually deploying Uganda People’s Defence Force (UPDF) officers to senior positions.
Mr Julius Odwee, who retired to farming and politics in his native Dokolo District, also took exception to the government’s apparent reluctance to implement some of the recommendations of the Justice Julia Ssebutinde report—especially those on welfare.
In the February 1, letter—copied to the Internal Affairs minister, the chairperson of the parliamentary Committee on Defence and Internal Affairs and the Inspector General of Police—Mr Odwee describes the deployments as illegal and contrary to public service standing orders.
“There were no considerations for serving professional police officers for such positions even when some of these police officers are well qualified in training and have served with experience for more than three years,” Mr Odwee wrote.
He added that there is no evidence to suggest that efforts were made to look within the Force to establish whether there was no capacity, experience, competence or qualifications to fill the positions that the soldiers occupy.
“Those who have not been favoured will suffer stress due to frustration, demoralisation, matters that accelerate the death of professionalism in the police and become the main source of peril of the police institution,” he warned.
A retired former Assistant Deputy IGP has described Mr Odwee’s letter as an appropriate description of the goings on in the Force.
“Mr Odwee has articulated all the matters affecting the current police operation clearly with all the relevant literature required,” Ms Jessica Orodriyo said.
In his letter, Mr Odwee claimed that many army officers have been deployed to key positions in the police since April 17, 2001. Back then, Gen Katumba Wamala was named 16th Inspector General of Police (IGP). Gen Katumba was succeeded by another soldier—Gen Kale Kayihura.
Maj Gen Sabiiti Muzeeyi and the late Gen Paul Lokech served as Deputy IGPs.
Other senior UPDF officers who have been deployed in the police include Brig Godfrey Goloba, Colonel Jese Kamunanwire and Col Chris Damulira as directors of Crime Intelligence.
“In the cases of Brig Godfrey Goloba, Col Jese Kamunanwire and Col Chris Damulira as a director of crime intelligence, the serving professional police officers have also not been given competitive opportunity ,” Mr Odwee argued.
Brig Jack Bakasumba was named the first Chief of Joint Staff in the police before Gen Abel Kandiho was named to the same position.
Militarisation of the Force
Mr Odwee also says the post of Chief of Joint Staff in the police does not exist in police structures, adding that its creation should serve to show how efforts are being made to militarise a police force that is meant to be civilian in nature.
“The position of Chief of Joint Staff is a reflection of militarisation of the police as such a position is nonexistent in the police as outlined in the public service standing orders, unless legally included in the recent past,” Mr Odwee wrote.
Gen Tom Magambo was recently named head of the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, a development which rubbed Mr Odwee the wrong way not least because trained police officers who have majored in intelligence were not considered.
Arbitrary promotions
Mr Odwee also pointed out that some officers who have not undergone the requisite training to hold certain ranks and offices have in the last 13 years enjoyed a rapid rise in ranks.
“They continue to serve without appropriate culture and explicit or implicit or even tacit skills, particularly the lack of understanding of the law and professionalism,” he wrote of the beneficiaries of the promotions.
“It is not the officers who have been promoted that have been at fault, but those who promoted them including the involvement of the President to promote officers who have not been trained for that rank or appointment,” he added.
Continued frustration, he said, has led some officers, who would have been a major resource, to quit.
“There are some senior police officers who decided to retire prematurely because they could not continue to be embarrassed,” he stated.
Standing orders
Quoting government standing orders on the appointment of officers on contract, Mr Odwee adds a caveat to the fact that the President has the power to appoint or remove public officers above the rank of head of department. He notes that such undertakings are subject to the advice of the relevant service commission or authority.
The same standing orders provide that the relevant service commission or authority has the power to appoint or remove an officer below the rank of head of department.
Mr Odwee now says that the provision was abused by the President.
“Under this provision of the standing orders I have noted that both the role of the President and of the service commission have been violated. There are officers whose appointments in the police did not match these requirements,” Mr Odwee wrote.
Mr Odwee argued that the continued appointment of UPDF officers runs contrary to the provisions on the appointment of persons to the public service. The provisions require such appointments to be done in accordance with written laws and laid down procedures, which he says the President violated.
Appointments on promotion
Mr Odwee concedes that a recommendation for the promotion of an officer can be made if there is a vacancy or where such an officer is eligible. He, however, hastens to add that such a person ought to have the required competence, including serving for a minimum of three years. UPDF officers were, however, transferred to the police—on promotion—without fulfilling the requisite requirements.
Those movements, he added, were made without giving consideration to police officers who met the requirements. Internal Affairs minister, Maj Gen Kahinda Otafiire dismissed the contents of the retired Deputy IGP’s letter.
“That is his opinion. He is entitled to it. I didn’t discuss it with him, so I don’t know why he said what he said,” Gen Otafiire told Sunday Monitor.
The chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee on Defence and Internal Affairs, Ms Rosemary Nyakikongoro, acknowledged receipt of Mr Odwee’s letter. She said the issues Mr Odwee raises are pertinent.
“[Mr Odwee] is one of the people we shall be inviting so that he shares some information with us. These are some of the things that we actually need to discuss with the Force and with the President as well,” Ms Nyakikongoro said.
