Following the back to back attacks on police officers that have left over 10 killed, police leadership has decided to close all Police Posts.
The latest incident happened this week on Monday evening at Busiika police station in Luweero district where seven armed men shot and killed two police officers while two others were left nursing bullet wounds.
Police leadership say the killings of police officers in the the districts of Luweero, Mityana, Wakiso, Kiboga and Nakaseke were successfully conducted by thugs because such Police Posts had fewer personnel numbers that could not March the attackers.
The Inspector General of Police, Martin Ochola, has now decided to implement President Yoweri Museveni’s 2019 directive of concentrating police officers at sub-counties rather than scattering them at Police Posts.
In Kampala metropolitan area that covers the Kampala City, Wakiso and Mukono districts, a number of Police Posts have already been closed.
In areas of Nalukolongo, Kabawo, Mutundwe, and others, police officers have already been withdrawn from Police Posts and taken back to major station like Nateete.
However, the move has resulted into protests by residents saying that it’ll expose them to thugs that previously raided homes even during day time.
“I have been living in Nalukolongo for more than 10 years, but I can tell the difference between Police Post presence and before. This place was unruly. Thugs would attack us at all times. But the police post had restore peace even though sometimes thugs would still strike,” a one Richard Sewankambo said.
Senior Commissioner of Police, Fred Enanga, explained that shifting all police officers to sub-counties will improve response to security emergencies as a team as opposed to being isolated police officers.
Enanga added that the force intends to have at least 20 police officers per sub-county. There are 2,624 sub-counties and this means police will have to deploy 52,480 personnel which is equivalent to its current total manpower.
It estimated that KMP has more than 100 Police Posts which are due for closure. The closure has also started in Luweero and Mityana districts.
Police believes policing will now be more of technology based since Closed Circuit Television – CCTV cameras have been erected in various urban areas. President Museveni opened the National CCTV Command Centre at Naguru police headquarters in 2019. Kampala alone has 3,323 CCTV cameras and phase two for installing more others especially in slums is expected to start soon.
At the end of full implementation of sub-county based policing model, over 1,000 Police Posts will have been phased out. The attacks on police officers including private security guards are linked to alleged revel group dubbed Uganda Coalition Forces for Change (UCFC) commanded by Frank David Ssemwogerere alias Col Ndugwa who has since been arrested and charged in the Court Martial.