Kiira region police spokesperson James Mubi confirmed that all their officers in his region have been given new pairs of uniforms with name tags stitched on them.
The Uganda Police Force has started distributing new uniforms to their officers, with each pair bearing a stitched surname, force number and rank of the personnel for proper identification and accountability during the 2026 General Election.
The police have been instructed by their officers not to cover or remove the name tags on the uniforms during operations, as has been the case during protests. Kiira region police spokesperson James Mubi confirmed that all their officers in his region have been given new pairs of uniforms with name tags stitched on them.
“Our region commander, SSP Charles Nsaba, received the batch of uniforms, and each officer’s uniform has a force number, surname and rank stitched on it. The new uniforms enhance trust, credibility, accountability and transparency in the communities,” Superintendent of Police Mubi said on May 12.
The old police uniforms had removable name tags. Many officers have been hiding their name tags while carrying out tasks unprofessionally so that the members of the public wouldn’t identify them.
After the attacks by hooded security personnel, who had no name tags, on journalists and members of the public in the Kawempe North by-election, Members of Parliament demanded that each officer should not cover their faces and should have proper identification during operations.
The Minister of State for Internal Affairs, Gen David Muhoozi, told Parliament that it was professional for officers to be identified during policing operations. In 2023, the police financial department figures, an officer is entitled to two sets of uniforms, which cost Shs956,300 per set. The police would need Shs98b each financial year to meet this demand.
However, the government provides Shs17.65b to the police for clothing, meaning that they can clothe only 9,228 police personnel annually. However, the new police leadership has been able to secure more funds to provide uniforms to all its officers.
Mr Mubi said all officers in his region received two pairs of uniforms, stockings, head-dress, shoes and underclothing. Although a police uniform is supposed to be a basic that each officer must have, many officers haven’t been getting them in time due to a shortage of funds.
A study by the Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC) in 2022 showed that 51 percent (around 29,000 police officers) of the total 54,000 Uganda Police Force personnel don't receive a complete uniform from the institution.
NMG-Uganda journalist Irene Abalo Otto (centre) is helped by the then publication’s Managing Editor (Dailies), Mr Tabu Butagira (right) and another colleague at International Diagnostic Centre where she got treatment after she was beaten by the military police on February 17, 2021. PHOTO/FILE
“The supply of uniforms was irregular and sometimes marred with irregularities, while often the uniform supplied was an incomplete set. With no warm suits and raincoats, some personnel endured cold weather while on duty, especially in cold areas of Kabale, Kisoro, Kapchorwa, Kween, Bukwo, Mbale and Fort Portal. Yet improvising with warm civilian clothing over the police uniforms was a disciplinary offence for which they would be fined,” the report stated.
Officers informed the UHRC researchers that they sometimes take between two to three years without getting new uniforms, yet they are supposed to be supplied with them annually. “At times, uniforms were provided without shoes, belts, warm suits, gumboots and raincoats, yet other personnel were said to have been issued with extra uniforms.
“Others said, when uniforms were issued while they were on leave, they missed out and had to buy from colleagues who got extra. Those who bought uniforms spent between Shs50,000 and Shs60,000, depending on their negotiation skills. Personnel also said police personnel would at times buy uniforms from police stores,” the report indicated.
PAST ATROCITIES
In 2020, Human rights defenders (HRDs) condemned police for violating people’s rights, which behaviour they said threatens transparency in the 2021 General Elections. The the National Coalition of Human Rights Defenders in Uganda (NCHRD-U) said a number of human rights violations incidents had been registered across the country, including torture and incommunicado detention, but no action had been taken against the individual perpetrators.
“During the year 2019, human rights defenders experienced illegitimate restrictions on the exercise of freedom of expression and press freedom. Most attacks were seen as a deliberate move by the perpetrators to cover up their unlawful acts...” the body indicated.
