Uganda police to recruit sign language interpreters

KAMPALA- Uganda Police has pledged to recruit sign language interpreters at all its regional facilities to address policing challenges associated with persons with hearing impairments.

According to Assistant Inspector General of Police, Asan Kasingye,  it is a partnership with the National Organization for the Deaf where they will identify an individual who can work closely with Police in coming up with a programme for recruitment, training and placement.

In the meantime, Police is not going to train new sign language interpreters but they are going to start calling upon those willing to train in sign language through the numerous advertisement in different media houses in different languages.

Joseph  Mbulamwana, Executive Director Uganda National Association of the Deaf (UNAD) says they are going to work with the Police legal  department to address emergency issues involving deaf persons in the country as sign language interpreters within Police are being registered from the advertisements which are to be made at all media houses.

"We are going to place adverts and train them only in Police procedures and basic law", said Kasingye.

 Kasingye  said  Police is willing to make sure that  all stations in the country have a sign language interpreter, and they need a maximum of  500 new recruitments in this field.

"Even if they are there, public service May not have vacancies for all of them. Therefore, UNAD has a training Programme too for those interested in sign language at Nakawuki LC3 offices free of charge. We shall identify some of our interested officers to train. This reduces on new recruitment that needs a big budget", he said.

However, all regional interpreters will be from those trained especially from Kyambogo University. We only need 27 for regions which may be within the Police budget.