Police seek land to construct 200 new sub-county stations
According to police, the ongoing efforts to take policing services near to the people have been partially hampered by lack of funds to buy land for construction sites.
The police force director of Interpol and international relations, Joseph Obwona, commissions Nakitoma sub-county police station in Nakasongola district. (Credit: Frederick Kiwanuka)
NAKASONGOLA - The Uganda police leadership has made a passionate appeal to those with unused land to voluntarily donate it for construction of more stations countrywide.
According to police, the ongoing efforts to take policing services near to the people have been partially hampered by lack of funds to buy land for construction sites.
The police director of Interpol and international relations, Joseph Obwona, made the revelation while commissioning Nakitoma sub-county police station in Nakasongola district over the weekend.
The new police station located at Kafu in Nakitoma sub-county, is one of the 70 police stations, which the police force recently constructed under the first phase of the force's sub-county policing project, whose implementation started late last year.
According to Obwona, the police force received funds to construct a total of 200 new sub-county police stations countrywide.
Obwona, who represented the Inspector General of police, Abas Byakagaba, at the commissioning of Nakitoma sub-county police station, thanked the family of the late Naftali Kyamuhangire for donating the land on which the station was constructed.
"I want to thank the family of Kyamuhangire for coming out voluntarily to donate this piece of land where this facility is standing. I would encourage others, wherever you are to come out and help in the same way," Obwona said.
Obwona inspecting a guard of honour at Nakitoma sub-county police station in Nakasongola district. (Credit: Frederick Kiwanuka)
Obwona said due to financial constraints, the police force was relying on the good will of individual land owners and local governments to get land for the construction sites.
He said the sub-county policing strategy, which was envisaged by President Yoweri Museveni, is aimed at enabling local communities to have a secure environment where people can engage in meaningful social, political and economic activities.
"We want to create a secure environment so that our people can live peacefully and meaningfully so that there is development. If you are operating in a secure environment, I am sure you can develop, " he said.
He cautioned the officer in charge at the newly commissioned station to ensure that the facility is well-maintained. "These vehicles are supposed to be used for emergency crime in the area," he said.
The director of logistics and engineering, James Apora, said the construction of Nakitoma sub-county police station would not have taken place if the late Kyamuhangire's family had not donated the land for the site.
Apora said the construction of all the targeted 200 new sub-county police stations would have been completed by March this year, but they faced some challenges which caused the delay.
Among the challenges, Akora said, was the loss of time in some areas waiting for the respective local council resolutions guaranteeing the availability of land for the construction sites.
He said his team worked on first-come-first-serve basis, whereby they would start construction in areas where they would get land first.
Nakasongola Resident District Commissioner Festus Bandeba thanked the police force for having improved their service. Bandeba asked the police leadership to deploy more officers in the district to fight crime, especially cattle thefts.