MPs want Police to surrender AK47 rifles
Aug 31, 2003
PARLIAMENT has recommended that the Police stops using assault rifles, except during special operations.
By Milton Olupot and Cyprian Musoke
PARLIAMENT has recommended that the Police stops using assault rifles, except during special operations.
MPs on Thursday said the Police should not routinely carry guns such as the AK-47. They said the Force should instead use pistols and batons because it is a civil force and not a paramilitary.
They said the Police should also use sniffer dogs to hunt criminals.
The parliamentary committee on defence and internal affairs chaired by Simon Mayende (Samia Bugwe South), acknowledged that criminals also carry and use equally deadly weapons, but said equipping the Police with more pistols would be a solution.
The committee was presenting a report on the defence and internal affair ministries’ budgets and policy statements. Parliament also demanded that the Ministry of Defence avails a detailed report on utilisation of the US$17.5m (about sh35b) supplementary releases for the last financial year. It commended the Teso Arrow Group and Lango’s Rhino unit for their support in fighting Joseph Kony’s Lord’s Resistance Army. The legislators asked the Government to fully facilitate the groups.
Defence requires Sh299,207,237,000 and sh13,945,803,000 for their recurrent and development expenditures respectively.
Internal Affairs requires sh98,685,960,000 and sh7,044,953,000 for recurrent and development expenditures respectively.
The committee said poor living conditions of the forces needed immediate attention.
The committee also urged the Government to improve housing conditions for the Police.
MPs said the morale of the Police was low because of the difficult working conditions and poor remuneration.
The report rejected the setting up of a sh200m army radio and directed that the money be used for the establishment of the army shop.
PARLIAMENT has recommended that the Police stops using assault rifles, except during special operations.
MPs on Thursday said the Police should not routinely carry guns such as the AK-47. They said the Force should instead use pistols and batons because it is a civil force and not a paramilitary.
They said the Police should also use sniffer dogs to hunt criminals.
The parliamentary committee on defence and internal affairs chaired by Simon Mayende (Samia Bugwe South), acknowledged that criminals also carry and use equally deadly weapons, but said equipping the Police with more pistols would be a solution.
The committee was presenting a report on the defence and internal affair ministries’ budgets and policy statements. Parliament also demanded that the Ministry of Defence avails a detailed report on utilisation of the US$17.5m (about sh35b) supplementary releases for the last financial year. It commended the Teso Arrow Group and Lango’s Rhino unit for their support in fighting Joseph Kony’s Lord’s Resistance Army. The legislators asked the Government to fully facilitate the groups.
Defence requires Sh299,207,237,000 and sh13,945,803,000 for their recurrent and development expenditures respectively.
Internal Affairs requires sh98,685,960,000 and sh7,044,953,000 for recurrent and development expenditures respectively.
The committee said poor living conditions of the forces needed immediate attention.
The committee also urged the Government to improve housing conditions for the Police.
MPs said the morale of the Police was low because of the difficult working conditions and poor remuneration.
The report rejected the setting up of a sh200m army radio and directed that the money be used for the establishment of the army shop.