By Aggrey Baba
Thousands of police officers could benefit from a major housing programme backed by an initial UGX100 billion commitment, as the Uganda Police Force (UPF) moves to reorganize its leadership and improve operational management.
Inspector General of Police (IGP) Abas Byakagaba announced the plans during a recent meeting with police commanders at the police headquarters in Naguru, Kampala, outlining a package of institutional changes covering accommodation, command structures, operational equipment and performance monitoring.
The housing programme is expected to deliver 23,000 residential houses for police officers, with the first phase targeting multi-storey accommodation to address a longstanding shortage of staff housing.
Byakagaba said UPF had secured about 200 of the approximately 2,000 housing units required for officers at sub-county level. A further 1,200 units, whose construction began late last year, are nearing completion and are expected to be ready early next year.
Police is also developing 120 housing units in Jinja and another 120 in Entebbe.
At Nsambya Police Barracks, UPF plans to construct a residential complex of at least seven floors, with the IGP arguing that high-rise accommodation would help maximize limited land.
The housing investment is part of wider changes that will also affect how UPF is commanded.
Police management is reviewing its organizational structure, which was last revised in 2015, with plans to introduce a new rank of Senior Assistant Inspector General of Police (SAIGP), above the current AIGP level, an arrangement which would also create four chieftaincies or Joint Chief of Staff positions to supervise existing directorates.
Police spokesperson Rusoke Kituuma said the new supervisory offices would not abolish the directorates.
“The Chieftaincies don’t negate directorates. They will become supervisory. Each Chieftaincy is to have a given number of directorates under it. The directorates will stay,” he said.
UPF also intends to divide its operations into five geographical command zones, covering Kampala Metropolitan Police, Western, Eastern, Northern and another zone. Each would be headed by a commissioner of police.
IGP said the restructuring was intended to improve coordination and accountability, insisting that officers placed in senior positions must have the authority and resources to deliver.
Another significant change will involve the way Police evaluates its performance. The force plans to replace its crime-focused annual report with a broader Annual Performance Report covering investigations, arrests, operations, crime prevention and other institutional activities.
