Police vows to fight insecurity on Lake Albert with new speed boats
The Director of Marine Police, Commissioner of Police Suleiman Kirungi, said the new vessels would significantly strengthen the force’s operational capability, particularly on Lake Albert, where security challenges have persisted.
Marine Police have pledged to intensify security operations on Lake Albert. (File photo)
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Marine Police have pledged to intensify security operations on Lake Albert following the acquisition of new high-speed patrol boats capable of supporting both law enforcement and rescue missions.
The Director of Marine Police, Commissioner of Police Suleiman Kirungi, said the new vessels would significantly strengthen the force’s operational capability, particularly on Lake Albert, where security challenges have persisted.
“It is mounted with a gun and is stable enough to withstand the vibrations of whichever weapon is deployed. We have been having challenges on Lake Albert, which remains volatile in terms of security. But with these boats deployed there, we promise that we shall handle the security challenges decisively,” Kirungi said.
He was speaking at the Marine Police Headquarters in Kigo, Wakiso District, during the commissioning of four newly acquired marine patrol boats presided over by the Inspector General of Police, Abas Byakagaba.
Kirungi said the force procured nine speed boats last financial year (2025/26), with four already delivered and the remaining five expected in August.
He thanked the Police chief and the entire Police leadership for prioritising the acquisition of speed boats, describing reliable marine vessels as indispensable for policing Uganda’s lakes and rivers.
According to Kirungi, the patrol boats will improve response to maritime emergencies, including boat accidents, drowning incidents and other security-related operations on the country’s water bodies.
He explained that the vessels were specially designed to perform both security and rescue missions, with sufficient space to accommodate survivors during rescue operations.
The boats are constructed from high-density polyethylene, a durable, maintenance-free material suitable for Uganda’s waterways. The vessels are easy to clean, have a long service life and feature shock-absorbing systems that improve stability and comfort while navigating rough waters, observed Kirungi.
The marine police boss, however, noted that operating the vessels requires substantial logistical support, adding that each patrol boat has a fuel tank capacity of about 500 litres. This, Kirungi said, makes sustained marine patrols costly and dependent on the timely availability of operational funds.
“These boats consume a considerable amount of fuel during operations. We require standby funding to ensure they remain fuelled and ready for rapid deployment whenever emergencies or security incidents arise,” he said.
The Marine Police director also revealed that newly recruited officers had already reported for duty and started undergoing induction training.
“The recruits are very enthusiastic. They have already reported and started their induction training. We now require strong support to train them effectively so that we can build an agile force capable of handling both rescue and security operations,” he said.
Despite improvements at the Marine Police Headquarters in Kigo through support from the Police Estate Secretariat, Kirungi said major infrastructure gaps continue to affect operations.
He singled out inadequate accommodation for officers as one of the force’s biggest challenges and appealed for additional investment in operational infrastructure.
“We have improved the appearance of the Marine Headquarters, but there is still much that needs to be done. We are doing very badly on accommodation,” he said.
Kirungi noted that while docking facilities exist at the headquarters, many marine detachments across the country lack proper docks where patrol boats can be safely moored and maintained.
“At several deployment points, we don’t have docking facilities to safely keep the boats. We are improvising, but proper infrastructure is needed,” he said.