The Internal Affairs Minister, Maj Gen, Kahinda Otafiire, has said that although government is desirous to improve Police officers’ welfare, the country is resource-strained.

Theodore Ssekikubo (Lwemiyaga County, NRM), Betty Bakireke Nambooze and other MPs want Police budget increased.

“My colleague and I would like to improve the welfare of the police, but so do we want to improve the welfare of immigration officers, prison officers and NIRA. These are competing demands.

Wilson Kajwengye (Nyabushozi) chairperson Defense and Internal Affairs committee and Ngompek Linos, the MP Kibanda North Kiryandondo chairing a session on January 09, 2024.

“Like I said yesterday, honorable members, we cannot budget like the United States or France. We are poor and we are a developing country. We must cut our coats in accordance with the clothes we have. I would love to see enhanced provisions for the police. I would be very happy,” he said.

The minister was on Wednesday, January 10, 2024, responding to Members of Parliament on the Defense and Internal Affairs committee who wanted the Police force’s budget increased.

Betty Bakireke Nambooze justified the need to increase the Police Force budget.

Minister Otafiire and State Minister for Internal Affairs Gen David Muhoozi led the ministry's top echelon before the committee chaired by Wilson Kajwengye (Nyabushozi) to present the ministry’s indicative budget estimates for the 2024/25 financial year.

Legislators including Theodore Ssekikubo (Lwemiyaga County, NRM) and Betty Bakireke Nambooze justified the need to increase the Police Force budget.

The indicative budget estimates a reduction from sh975.414b in the last financial year to sh896.565b in the ongoing fiscal year.

“From 2019/20 we have lost almost nineteen percent of our budget and this loss has continued to affect field operations, provision of houses and office space including warm clothing, fuel, lubricants and maintenance of vehicles, provision of utilities and the ever-growing arrears,” Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIGP) James Ochaya submitted.

One of the most affected areas is the crime prevention and investigation management sub-programme whose budget for the forthcoming year has been reduced by sh123.850b to sh36.929b.

This subdivision is charged with intelligence gathering and processing, countering terrorism, maintenance of surveillance systems (CCTV), community policing and international information sharing.
  
The development has also had a trickle-down effect on feeding of personnel in operations which has been provided sh45b out of a required sh91b.