Uganda hosts African top police commanders

By JOHN AGABA

A total of 35 police officers from 12 African countries are in Uganda.

The officers, on a senior command and staff course of Police at the Rwanda Musanze Police Academy, are in the country to take in Uganda’s experience in social economic transformation as part of their study requirements before graduating.

The officers visited the Uganda Industrial Research Institute in Nakawa, a Kampala suburb. Prof. Charles Kwesiga, the institute’s director, took them around the institute - through the various labs and theatres and workshops, explaining to them the institute’s role in equipping young people with practical skills necessary for them to get employment.

Detailing to them what goes on at the institute, he said that the institute has a mandate to ensure innovation and production of quality products locally made to advance Uganda’s industrialization.

Chief Superintendent, Victor Eduseh-Poku, one of the trainees from Ghana said “we have learnt a lot. We are here to understand Uganda’s efforts in social economic transformation, especially the role of Industry.”

Pointing out that there is a close relationship between unemployment and crime rate in Africa, Eduseh-Poku said governments need to put up a lot more establishments that can equip the youth with practical necessary skills so they are ‘off the street’.

They officers are on an 11-month course. The Uganda tour is the climax of their course.

Eduseh-Poku said “it is a strategic course for senior management of police in Africa. We have already had a masters’ program in peace and conflict studies from the Rwanda National University, a strategic management program from Brummell. So this is the climax of our studies.”

The 35 are from Ghana, Zambia, Rwanda, Djibouti, South Sudan, Sudan, Burundi, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia. Uganda has three representatives.

Kwesiga explained “they are covering different themes on how Uganda is addressing the issue of social economic transformation. So we are explaining to them UIRI’s role in social economic transformation.”