Stop frustrating businesses, vacate unpaid premises — MPs tell police

KAMPALA - Lawmakers have criticised the Uganda Police Force for failing to settle their liabilities, warning that continued inaction is severely impacting business owners.

Their concerns were voiced on Tuesday, May 27, 2025, during a meeting between the Public Accounts Committee (Central), chaired by Butambala County MP Muhamad Muwanga Kivumbi (NUP), and officials from the police, led by Deputy Inspector General of Police (D/AIGP) James Ochaya. Also present was Aggrey Wunyi, the entity’s undersecretary.

The officials had appeared to respond to queries arising from the Auditor General’s report on the entity for the financial year ended 2023/24.

Muwanga Kivumbi, the PAC committee chairperson during a meeting on May 27, 2025. (All Photos by Miriam Namutebi) 

Speaking during the meeting, Mawogola South MP Gorrett Namugga, who also serves as the PAC vice chairperson, said that while Parliament cannot allow police funding to stagnate at just 40%, the force must find ways to address its growing arrears, most of which stem from unpaid rent and utilities such as water and electricity.

“This needs a special engagement. However, Police, you rather exit buildings of individuals and find yourselves somewhere. We’d rather operate from trees than frustrate our own businesses. Honourable chair, it is very hard to evict police. These gentlemen you see here, once they get to your premises, it is hard to evacuate police,” said Namugga.

“Actually, we need to get details of wherever you occupy people’s houses, and for how long you have been there. If they cannot pay, they should exit. For these other businesses, the goods and services, we know you frustrate the private sector. But for our buildings, you know what it takes. People pay property tax and all these others, and police is silent,” she added.

Committee chairperson Muwanga Kivumbi observed: “I imagine in a town like Kabasanda, for that gentleman who built a small house to generate income to meet either school fees or health needs, and here is a force which rents but doesn’t pay. Then somebody’s children don’t go to school because you can’t evict a force. Who will do the enforcement order against police?”

While acknowledging the concerns, Deputy Inspector General of Police James Ochaya cautioned that evicting the police from rented premises would not be a viable solution.

“What we need to do as Government is to ensure that we provide funds and we pay. That is our take. It is not about leaving the place—no. The services of police are required,” Ochaya argued.

Aggrey Wunyi, Uganda Police under secretary during a meeting with PAC on May 27, 2025.

However, this was opposed by Muwanga, who contended that the rising rent arrears could be avoided if the Police adhered to the budget call circular, which outlines their spending limits.

“Government gives you a budget call circular and says this financial year, you have sh900 billion, and says suggest how you will use the money, and you deliberately decide not to pay your debt. It’s like me going to a grocery store, buying things, and, after earning an end-of-month salary, I don’t walk there to pay. For example, you accumulate arrears on rent, knowing it is sentimental, intentionally. But now you have diaries, which will be produced on time and paid for,” he said.

Buyanja East MP Emely Kugonza questioned how it must sound to landlords across the country that the same Police force claiming to be underfunded is actively engaged in constructing its own facilities.

Sarah Opendi, Woman MP Tororo District presents during a PAC meeting with Uganda Police official on May 27, 2025.

“Someone who is actually failing to pay rent is actually building his own units or houses elsewhere. I think it would really be logical that you first sort out the people who have been accommodating you to a certain level before you start constructing new ones,” Kugonza stated.

“We have these eighteen policemen who have recently been released to many sub-counties. It is becoming a problem—some of them are now being accommodated in our compounds. As it has been said, evicting them might become a problem. Let’s see how to work to provide as we move on by making regular reminders. If, Accounting Officer, you had five letters you are putting here that you have written to the Permanent Secretary/Secretary to the Treasury (PSST), we would see that you have tried your best,” said Fredrick Angura (Tororo South).

According to the Uganda Police Force’s Strategic Policing Plan (2020/21–2024/25), the proportion of accommodated officers has remained unchanged since 2015. The Force currently has 3,550 housing units and a few rented facilities, housing only 9,103 officers—just 21% of the 43,052 entitled, leaving a deficit of 13,240 units.

This is based on Auditor General Edward Akol’s November 2024 follow-up report on the implementation status of recommendations from the value for money audit on the management of accommodation by the Uganda Police Force (UPF).