You have until end of today to vacate barracks, officers told
Evicted. Police officers prepare to leave during an eviction exercise at Kabalagala police barracks on October 19, 2016. PHOTO BY ABUBAKER LUBOWA
What you need to know:
- Many junior officers, who found no houses in the new work places erected their own structures on police land.
But recently they were also ordered to vacate them as soon as they are transferred.
Kampala. Police management has given officers residing at station barracks where they do not work up to today to relocate or be evicted tomorrow.
The police message was sent to all police commanders around the country to effect the order in the barracks under their supervision.
One of the affected police officers said they are having sleepless nights since they have nowhere to go.
The officer, who resides in the city centre, said officers were transferred to new stations within Kampala Metropolitan but they did not find accommodation at the new work places.
The Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesman, Mr Luke Owoyesigyire, confirmed the order of eviction.
“I have been informed that the order came from police headquarters to all units and our work is to enforce it. We urge the affected officers to go to their commanders to get them housing units,” Mr Owoyesigyire said.
According to police standing orders, junior officers must reside in police barracks.
Police records show that 36,013 officers, who are entitled to accommodation, have no houses.
Police can only accommodate 20.9 per cent of its officers.
Superintendent of Police Samson Lubega, the spokesman of the Directorate of Operation, said many officers are either holding two houses or keeping one they prefer for their convenience.
“You find a police officer, who was transferred from Jinja to Iganga still holding a house in the previous post. The officer chooses to commute to work. It is irregular for an officer to hold two houses,” SP Lubega said yesterday. Some of the affected police officers say they have children who are doing examinations and the eviction will greatly impact on them.
They asked for at least a month to shift probably in December or January during school holidays. Shortage of accommodation in the Police Force has been a problem for decades. Police is given Shs20 billion to construct houses annually.
Many junior officers, who found no houses in the new work places erected their own structures on police land.
But recently they were also ordered to vacate them as soon as they are transferred.
Two years ago, the angry officers destroyed the houses they had constructed while being evicted at Kabalagala Police Station.
