Police to recruit 50,000 constables for 2021 polls

Oct 21, 2020

The ESPCs will be disbanded soon after the elections as they are a temporary stop-gap measure

The Police have finalised arrangements to recruit 50,000 election special Police constables (ESPCs) ahead of next year's elections.

The personnel will boost the current Police force numbers to maintain law and order as Ugandans gear up for next year's polls, the Police said on Monday. The recruitment exercise will kick off soon.

"The recruitment of ESPCs is to ensure effective policing for election and post-election period," Fred Enanga, the Police spokesperson, said.

The development comes after Police announced recruitment of another 5,000 special Police constables to boost its personnel, meaning the force will have 55,000 constables on their payroll by the time next year's elections are held.

Enanga, however, said the ESPCs will be disbanded soon after the elections as they are a temporary stop-gap measure to beef up the Police.

"Regional Police commanders in every district will do the job of recruitment. We expect that they (ESPCs) must have started working by January," Enanga said, adding that they will work for a three-month period with the Police.

Each district will get a deployment of ESPCs according to the number of polling stations it has, meaning districts such as Wakiso and Kampala will have a lion's share of the ESPCs recruited.

Enanga informed journalists that the recruitment follows an approval of the Police budget by the finance ministry. Beyond boosting their ability to maintain law and order in next year's elections, Enanga said more personnel will help build their effectiveness in tackling rising crime in the country.

There are currently 146 districts in the country, 312 counties, and 353 constituencies. There are 10,595 parishes and 70,626 villages, with 34,344 polling stations, according to the Electoral Commission.

This places pressure on the current Police force personnel of under 45,000.

Enanga said the ESPCs will work in their respective districts of recruitment.

To qualify for recruitment, one must have a national identity card and must be a holder of an O'level certificate. They are also required to present a recommendation letter from their area LC1 chairperson.

"Each person will earn sh375,200 for the duration of their services," Enanga said. He added that each candidate for recruitment must be a patriotic citizen of Uganda, aged between 18-40 years, who must exhibit a proven record of volunteerism with the Uganda Police.

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