If there’s anything that best fits in the phrase of breathing new life into something, then that must be the police Exodus Canteen which is now boasting of making annual profit worth 1.2 billion shillings yet the same used to fetch a paltry of 70 millions shillings every year.
During the reigns of Assistant Superintendent of Police – ASP Henry Kalulu as Board Chairman, Exodus canteen was almost a written off business venture as it operated in negative profits and neither had visible capital.
But Senior Commissioner of Police – SCP Wilson Omoding, who took over from ASP Kalulu in 2019, said in his first year the canteen made over 700 million shillings in terms of profit. But as you read this, Omoding explained that they are bagging over 1.2 billions shillings in profit per annum.
Omoding said one of the major decisions they took and have now made wonders was doing away with suppliers.
“We decided that for us we shall never deal with suppliers. Everything we need for the canteen, we must buy it ourselves. If we need a bunch of matooke, we go buy it ourselves from the market. That’s is how we have been able to make this money,” Omoding said.
The canteen has metamorphosed into a restaurant which has been commissioned by deputy Inspector General of Police, Maj Gen Katsigazi Tumusiime. The new restaurant is within the Exodus SACCO premises below the police headquarters’ main building. The area where Exodus canteen has been trading is going to be utilized to expand the forensic laboratory.
Gen Tumusiime commissioned the new state of art restaurant after opening a special Annual General Meeting (AGM) purposely summoned to make amendments of Police Exodus SACCO constitution in order to be inline with the cooperative Act which was amended in 2020.
Gen Tumusiime urged police officers to utilize the Exodus SACCO to improve their finances. Although the government remits the officers’ salaries every month, Gen Tumusiime said that money isn’t enough to uplift the police officers’welfare.
But by being frugal and endeavoring to save even if its 10000 shillings every week or monthly, Gen Tumusiime said the officers’ finances will gradually improve. “You can be frugal on spending. You can forego beers and save. That money in 10 years it’ll do you wonders,” Gen Tumusiime said.
Gen Tumusiime cautioned police officers against diverting loan money into unproductive matters like marrying more sexual partners. Gen Tumusiime said whenever a person engages in multiple partners, he or she creates financial woes.
Exodus SACCO delegate especially those from the hard to reach areas were given brand new motorcycles to ease their movements as they handle members’ issues in their respective jurisdictions.