The Minister for Internal Affairs, Gen. Kahinda Otafiire, has issued a three-month ultimatum for the housing projects for the police, immigration, and prisons to start, or else he will take action against those responsible.
“For more than a year, I have been talking about building houses for the police officers, prisons and immigration officers and my people inter-service committee for housing has been going around in circles like a dog chasing its tail. We adopted a PPP(public-private partnership) that we should do it meaning someone is willing to invest money and we pay later in 25 or 30 years,” Otafiire said.
“I am putting my foot down. I want an answer within three months. If there is no answer to the police, prison and immigration housing, the undersecretary (Aggrey Wunyi), you will go. It is 90 days beginning today. I want an answer and if not, am coming for you.”
A large number of police officers sleep in uniports, many of which are dilapidated and need repairs.
The force recently opened 420 new apartments for officers at Naguru police headquarters but these are just a drop in the ocean.
Of the over 54000 police personnel, at least 12000 stay and work in the greater Kampala Metropolitan Area but most of these have to either sleep in barracks which have dilapidated houses and uniports or rent outside the barracks.
It has been argued by many that the poor state of housing for officers affects the way they carry out their work since they sleep badly.
Under the private-public partnership (PPP), the police want to build at least 50,000 housing units for its officers.
Minister Otafiire last week told President Museveni that the idea has been delayed by some officials in the Ministry of Finance where the paperwork has stalled.
Speaking during the opening ceremony of the 27th Police Council at Naguru, Otafiire said it is high time he put down his foot to ensure police, prison and immigration officers get decent accommodation facilities to enable them to perform their work.
“We are tired of having police officers sleeping in shameful conditions. A healthy mind is in a healthy body. This police officer who works at Jinja Road and sleeps in Bweyogere villages! How do you expect a police officer to come on time and go home on time with traffic and the little money we give them,” Otafiire questioned.
“The little thing we can do to supplement their meagre income is to make sure they are close to their work stations and if the barracks is far, we give them transport to work and back home. That’s how we shall ease the burden of easing for police officers. The same thing goes for prisons and immigration.”
Speaking during the same event, the Inspector General of Police, John Martins Okoth Ochola said this year’s Police Council meeting is meant to raise the ambitions and commitments to keep within “reach our goal of modernizing policing through science and technology.”
