Police bosses warned on opening unplanned stations

MASAKA – District Police Commanders [ DPCs ] in the greater Masaka region have been warned against creating police stations and outposts without following the right procedures.

The warning was sounded by the Uganda Police Force Estates Officer, ASP Walugembe at Maria-Flo Hotel in Masaka City during an engagement with senior police officers from greater Masaka region, saying that this has resulted into disputes between landlords and police since there is no clear memorandum of understanding with landlords.

He said many police posts and police stations were created in Masaka region, especially during the 2018 and 2019 ‘bijambiya’ machete-wielding killings by assailants after some individual community members offered premises to police.

”The premises are being fully occupied by policemen without a clear memorandum of understanding with the landlords who in turn started demanding huge sums of rental arrears” he said adding that landlords do not have binding contracts with the Uganda police force.

On the new year’s eve January 1, 2018 in Bukomansimbi district, five people including a retired senior police officer, SSP Ssebugwawo Lumala at Kisojjo village in Kibinge subcounty were killed by the machete-wielding assailants who at night attacked homes and entertainment centres in various trading centre.

After Ssebugwawo was killed, a police post known as Kisojjo police post was created at his home as attacks and killings continued up to 2019 when 25 people were killed in the same style in the region.

Over twenty police posts in the Masaka region were created on an emergency basis as the hunt for the prime suspects continued. Later, Musa Galiwango and Meddie Kiddawalime were arrested and aligned before Masaka high court on charges of murder.

Masaka regional police spokesman, Muhammed Nsubuga in an interview said there was a security emergency and it was necessary to create police outposts and allocate them with armed policemen to protect people and their property.

In the nine districts of Lwengo, Kalungu, Bukomansimbi, Sembabule, Kalangala, Rakai, Kyotera, Lyantonde and Masaka which make up the greater Masaka region, there are about 56 police stations and over 80 police posts of which some are rented by Uganda police while others are rented by community members including politicians and individual businessmen.

Bukomansimbi DPC, Christine Namawuba noted that the premises for Kisojjo police post was offered by the family members of late SSP Ssebugwawo Lumala and Kitanda police post in Kibinge subcounty was offered by community members for free.

She said the district has five police stations and two police posts at Kigangazi and Buyoga whose premises are owned by individuals but rented by police. ”I have always been receiving warnings from landlords threatening to evict police from premises over accumulated rental arrears” she said.

Masaka DPC, Moses Nanoka said Masaka rural district has five police stations and six police posts. The police stations of Buwunga and Kyanamukaka are accommodated by the subcounty headquarters while Kyesiiga police stations are rented by police. Bukakata and Lambu police stations were constructed by individuals and offered to police. Of the six police posts, five police posts of Malembo, Namirembe, Nabugabo, Ssuunga and Kisuku were constructed by the community and individuals while the Ddimo police post was constructed by the ministry of fisheries.

Masaka City has five police stations of Kabonera, Kyabakuza and Kirimya in Kimanya-Kabonera division and Nyendo and Mpugwe police stations in Nyendo-Mukungwe division. These police stations and five police posts of Kaswa, Kiziba, Gayaza, Kako and Kittante are rented by police. One police post of Kisaaka was offered by  MP Abedi Bwanika [Kimanya-Kabonera constituency] who pays rent. Meanwhile three other police posts of Kkingo, Kitanga and Kyanjale are proposed to be opened.

Kalungu district has five police stations and two police posts. Kalungu central police station is housed at Kalungu subcounty headquarters while other four police stations in Lukaya town council, Kyamulubwa and Lwabenge town councils are rented by police plus other two police posts of Kaliiro and Lusango.

Lwengo district has eight police stations and six police posts rented by police. While other police posts were offered by individual community members including Karegero police post was offered by former Nsangi LC3 Chairman, Hajji Abdu Kiyimba and Makondo police post offered by Lwengo district woman MP, Cissy Namujju who are paying rent for the police post premises.

Lyantonde district has six police stations and six police posts. Lyantonde central police station was constructed by government but other police stations of Buyaga, Kaliiro, Buyanja, Kinuuka and Kansagama are rented by police plus other police posts of Kalyamenvu, Kyemmamba, Kabatema and Kitazigorokwa. Mpumudde and Lyakajura police posts were offered by the community.

Kyotera district has ten police stations and eleven police posts. Kyotera central police station and four police posts of Bukunda, Lusaka, Nakatoogo and Kabira are rented by police. While other police posts are rented by community members.

Also five police stations including Mutukula-Tanzania border police station, Kakuuto, Nangoma, Kasasa and Kirumba are housed in government facilities. Katana and Kalisizo police stations are housed in the police facilities. Kasensero police stations at Kasensero fish landing site was constructed on the land owned by an individual and Minziiro police station was constructed on the land at Tanzania-Uganda border.

Sembabule has one central police station with its barracks rented by police plus other two police stations of Mateete and Lwemiyaga but the three stations of Lwebitakuli, Ntuusi and Lugusulu are housed at the subcounty headquarters. Also three police posts of Kikoma, Mitima, Bigobyamugenyi, Mitete, Kirama and Nankondo are rented by police. Other five police posts of Kyabi, Nambirizi, Kyeera, Kawanda and Mpumudde were offered by community and individuals who are paying rent for the premises where the police posts are housed.

Rakai district has two police stations and twenty-two police posts. Rakai central police station at Rakai district headquarters and Lwamaggwa are rented by police while eight police posts are rented by community members. Fifteen posts were constructed by the community with one at Kabaale trading centre offered by former finance minister, Gerald Sendaula. Six other police posts are housed in the subcounties.

The senior inspector of police premises, Christine Muvawala said it’s true there was an emergency and DPCs acted very fast to create police posts in those areas where crimes happened during the machete attacks but those police posts are not known by the police headquarters. ”We have gone on ground during the inspection tour and found new police posts. Did u try to inform the police headquarters after these police posts were created?” she asked.

ASP Walugembe emphasized that DPCs should make proper documentation of all offers given to police in terms of houses and land.

”Right procedures should be followed in proper formalization of police’s occupancy both in rented premises and community offered structures”, He said DPCs have gone ahead to claim for rental arrears which has become a burden to police. ”Stop committing the government to pay rent for the rented police premises without following the right procedures” he warned.

Walugembe also revealed that Uganda Police is trying to improve on the rental payments and clear all the current backlog of arrears demanded by landlords.

However, he urged landlords to renovate their premises so as to improve the working environment of police officers occupying the rented premises. ”Some police posts are dilapidated with half-roofs and even have no toilets” he said, adding that the lives of policemen are at risk.

He also said the Uganda police force is currently putting more emphasis on changing the image of the police force estate by constructing modern stations and barracks.

Joshua Odeke an officer from the office of the government chief valuer said police are incurring costs in rental arrears because DPCs call the chief government valuer to establish the rental value of premises when they had already occupied the buildings some of which have no windows and toilets.

He advised police commanders to follow the procedures and that it is better to first identify the structures they want to occupy and then send instructions calling the chief government to establish the value of the structures before it is occupied. ”We are ready to advise the government on the conduciveness of the buildings and their cost before being occupied by police,” Odeke said.

https://thecooperator.news/police-sacco-fails-to-account-for-shs-5billion-faces-forensic-audit/

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