By Ronald Nahabwe
The Inspector General of Police Martins Okoth Ochola has ordered for all Police officers’ head count to ascertain whether there are still some ‘remnants’ or call them Kawukuumi in the force as president Museveni boldly put it. According to inside sources,the man from Tororo is suspicious the numbers of his police force could have been inflated by former Kayihura confidants for different agendas, he now wants to clean up the force, a sources said.
Apparently, there is word making rounds with in the force that figures of police numbers were inflated to accommodate the mulit billion budgets for Crime preventers who were managing fat accounts with in the force while doing political works for Gen. Kale Kayihura, former police boss who is currently incarcerated at Makindye Military Barracks over several serous charges.
It’s estimated that Uganda Police has 44000 officers. But Ochola has insisted that he wants to know the exact numbers of his officers before he unrolls the professionalization of the same. Ochola, has now instituted a compulsory head count starting Monday 18th June.
Through the Assistant Commissioner of Police, William Okalany, the Professional Standards Unit commander, Ochola has ordered the exercise to begin immediately with units, Divisions and regions within Kampala and finally to other parts of the country.
“All personnel working within a district or division regardless of their mother units will be verified from that particular area where they are attached,” he commanded
He added “The audit teams will be assisted by RPCs and DPCs to ensure that commanders of such personnel are notified to attend the exercise. Each personnel will fill a manpower audit form before proceeding to the audit team for verification,” he said.
According to the message by the Professional Standards Unit commander, all personnel are expected to present a recent passport photo, police number, bank account number, TIN number, National Identity Card number, date of enlist into the force, date of posting to current station and date of last promotion.
“Personnel that will be unaccounted for at the end of the exercise will be deleted from the payroll,” warned IGP Ochola.
This officers’ audit, according to our sources has left most senior police officers especially pay masters so puzzled and confused because they have been receiving salaries for those who died or deserted force to look for Kyeyo or greener pastures.
