Prime
Museveni asks IGP to roll out sub-county policing model
Mr Museveni (centre) with some of the UPDF and Police Force officers who received medals during the Heroes Day celebrations. PHOTOS/ANTONIO KALYANGO
What you need to know:
- Uganda has about 2,184 sub-counties, towns and municipal divisions, meaning a force of 39,312 police officers would be sufficient to enforce the proposed policing model.
President Museveni has ordered the Inspector General of Police, Mr Abbas Byakagaba, to enforce the sub-county policing model introduced four years ago.
In 2020, President Museveni directed the police to establish a sub-county policing model with each sub-county to have a police station with 18 officers and four motorcycles with two reserved for emergencies.
Mr Museveni yesterday stressed that the policing model is the ‘medicine’ for the new wave of crime being recorded in rural areas where thieves are terrorising communities, stealing cattle and poultry.
“…if 18 policemen are deployed at every sub-county with motorcycles, it will be simple to fight crime. Our sub-counties are no longer big and with communication, which is everywhere, controlling crime will be easier,” the President said during celebrations to mark 35th National Heroes’ Day at Kasooli Village in Mpenja Sub-county, Gomba District.
Mr Byakagaba, who was in attendance, said he was aware of the directive and promised to enforce it.
“Your Excellency, I thank you for the appointment. I found the directive on my table, and I am going to discuss it with my team to see how to enforce it,” he said.
Uganda has about 2,184 sub-counties, towns and municipal divisions, meaning a force of 39,312 police officers would be sufficient to enforce the proposed policing model.
During the pass out ceremony for 2,717 officers from police and immigration at Kabalye Police Training School in Masaka District last November, the former IGP, Mr John Martins Okoth-Ochola, said the Uganda Police Force was in advanced stages of implementing the sub-county policing model, beginning with Greater Masaka Region.
He said each sub-county was to receive a vehicle, motorcycles, radio and 18 police officers.
Mr Ochola then said the same model would be rolled out in the first quarter of this closing financial year (2023/2024). Mr Twaha Kasirye, the southern regional spokesperson, confirmed that the security plan is taking shape in the area and is making good progress.
President Museveni with some of the recipients of medals during the 35th Heroes’ Day commemoration at Kasooli Playground, Gomba District on June 9, 2024.
Landlords issue
At the same function, Mr Museveni ordered the arrest of landlords who evict bona fide sitting tenants from their ancestral land. “If they [landlords] attempt to evict them [sitting tenants], we shall arrest them,” the President said.
Mr Museveni said landlords have to accept the annual nominal ground rent commonly known as Busuulu and shouldn’t force bibanja holders to buy their reversionary interest.
“Landlords should accept what we agreed in 1995. [President Idi] Amin had abolished the Mailo land tenure, but we restored it for a win-win situation. But landlords are not listening, our people are suffering because they [landlords] are not following the law,” he said.
President Museveni also ordered landlords who have been collecting excess Busuulu from sitting tenants to make a refund.
“We are going to discuss in our NRM Caucus to see that when the landlord refuses to take Busuulu, which is set for a particular area, that money is paid at the sub-county,” Mr Museveni said.
Land has continued to be a sticky issue in many districts in central Uganda with wealthy people with land titles evicting poor tenants from their ancestral land. It is on this basis that the government is pushing for land reforms, which they say aim at curing the rampant evictions in the country.
About Heroes’ Day
The government marks National Heroes’ Day every June 9, in memory of the first National Resistance Army/Movement (NRA/M) heroes executed in Kikandwa District by the Uganda National Liberation Army (UNLA) in 1981.
Ms Mary Babalanda, the Minister for Presidency, said they chose Gomba District to host this year’s commemoration because it was “a key resistance corridor” during the Luweero Triangle Bush War, which fought against the second Milton Obote regime between 1981 and 1986, and catapulted President Museveni to power on January 26, 1986.
This year’s anniversary to remember the brave lives who contributed to the war was marked under the theme, ‘Hail our legends, a future for Uganda is now secure’.
Heroes’ Day medalists. At the same ceremony, a total of 53 individuals, who have made outstanding contributions to the country, were awarded medals. The awardees included Sheikh Mohammed bin Maktoum, the Prince of Dubai, who was honoured with the Distinguished Order of the Crested Crane, 1st Class, for the development of Kidepo International Airport, and the Uganda oil refinery project, which are currently under construction.
The medal awarded to Sheikh Maktoum is the first to be given out in the Heroes’ Day category. Also awarded was the State minister for ICT, Ms Joyce Ssebugwawo, who received the Distinguished Order of the Crested Crane, second Class.
