Police have allocated 180 out of the 420 housing units commissioned by the minister for internal affairs last week to personnel from the directorates of Information Communication Technology -ICT, forensic and Counter-Terrorism -CT.
One of the three buildings that have been allocated to police officers working at Naguru headquarters was the first one to be constructed under the leadership of Gen Edward Kalekyezi Kayihura as the Inspector General of Police- IGP. It was also named after him ahead of commissioning.
“I am one of the people sleeping in the Kayihura units. They are 60 and they are all occupied. Even those of Odomel are fully occupied and I believe by the end of this week even those rooms in the Erinayo block will be full,” a police Sergeant said.
Gen Kayihura who was at the helm of the police force for more than 12 years launched the construction of 1,020 housing units on September 26, 2016. However, the piecemeal finances have so far led to the completion of only 420 units.
Fred Enanga, the Police Spokesperson confirmed that three blocks have been occupied even though he has not divulged the details of the occupants. But Enanga said police officers who have been working at police headquarters are the ones who have already occupied the units.
“Our officers from the ranks of Inspector to Constables who have been working here at the headquarters have already occupied three blocks. Others will be occupied by officers in the divisions of Kampala. These are their houses, let them enjoy them,” Enanga said.
The ICT officers who have been allocated houses are basically working at the National CCTV Command Centre, the forensic directorate which is just behind the main police headquarters building, and counter-terrorism officers who guard the top cops while in office.
Daily Press has learned that more than 50 police officers had temporarily been living in the houses but were removed when the final painting in preparation for commissioning started. However, they have been reallocated the houses because they are serving in critical directorates and units based on the headquarters, especially ICT.
Meanwhile, director logistics and engineering Assistant Inspector General of Police- AIGP Richard Edyegu and his welfare and production counterpart AIGP Charles Birungi are said to be part of the committee that will vet the more than 200 police officers who will occupy the remaining houses. Also, the committee is reportedly deliberating on whether the units will be shared in order to accommodate a big number of junior officers.
Each unit has two bedrooms, a sitting, a kitchen, and washrooms. But police believe such a unit being occupied by one police officer and his family, it will not quickly solve the sorry state of police officers’ accommodation. In case they are shared, each unit will accommodate like three police officers meaning the already completed 420 houses can consume over 1000 personnel.