MPs approve sh8.347b for police recruitment
May 21, 2014
In a bid to implement the Cabinet directive and to realize the numbers to police the 2016 general elections, MPs on budget committee have endorsed the Police’s request of an additional budget of sh8.347b to cater for new recruitment and partial training of 3,500 personnel.
By Umaru Kashaka
In a bid to implement the Cabinet directive and to realize the numbers to police the 2016 general elections, MPs on budget committee have endorsed the Police’s request of an additional budget of sh8.347b to cater for new recruitment and partial training of 3,500 personnel.
The MPs heard that the Police and the ministry of finance agreed to recruit 7,000 personnel (1,000 Cadets and 6,000 Police Constables) in the two financial years 2013/2014 and 2014/2015.
“The committee recommends that since this was an agreed position with the finance ministry, government should find resources to cater for this activity given its importance in the electoral democracy,” the Mubende Woman MP, Benny Namugwanya confirmed to New Vision.
The Bulambuli County MP and committee vice-chairperson, Wamakuyu Mudimi, said because of the need to make the police more responsive to citizens’ expectations, continuous training is vital and should be prioritized with the budgetary provisions of the police.
Legislators also observed that terrorism and transnational organized crime continue to pose big security challenge and as such the Police require sh12b to set up an information fund to facilitate intelligence operations both within and without Uganda’s borders.
“The committee recommends that the Police and the ministry of finance should provide the needed funds by realignment of vote(budget) functions and scaling down on areas that have savings as result of efficiency gains,” their next financial year report that is yet to be presented in parliament states.
Rogers Muhirwa, the Police Under Secretary, told the Parliamentary committee on defence and internal affairs recently that in order to professionalize the Police Force, there is need to develop human resource capacity through skills enhancement.
“We need to do this through continuous training in basic courses that include leadership, command and control, public order management, traffic control, investigation and crime management. This will require sh15.678b, but only sh4.18b has been provided leaving a shortfall of sh11.498b,” he said.
RELATED STORIES