The parliamentary committee on defense and internal affairs has asked the Uganda Police Force to prioritize the improvement of officers’ accommodations and the fight against corruption in the next financial year’s budget.
The legislators also want the police to refrain from conducting what they term as illegal arrests.
The Police has presented a budget estimate of over one trillion Uganda shillings for the 2023–2024 financial year to fulfill its mandate of keeping law and order.
According to Aggrey Wunyi, the Under Secretary for UPF, they will require the estimated fund to optimally finance their operations.
The committee chairperson, MP Rose Mary Nyakikongoro, called on the police to enhance the quality of investigations.
“The quality of investigations is poor, and corruption has become too much in the Uganda Police Force,” she said.
Some committee members were also concerned about the conditions under which the CCTV cameras operate, as well as the police’s failure to enhance the salaries of non-commissioned officers.
The State Minister for Internal Affairs, Gen. David Muhoozi, pledged to make sure that police improve their performance.
“I encouraged officers not to give up on doing their jobs and to continue pushing for the police mandate,” Gen Muhoozi said.
The Shs1.1 trillion will mainly be used in guarding the pipeline, purchasing new patrol cars, installing phase three of CCTV cameras, purchasing fuel for officers, purchasing investigating and forensic equipment, and strengthening intelligence.