KAMPALA – The Deputy Inspector General of Police, Maj Gen Paul Lokech has sent 161 District as well as Divisional Police Commanders for a refresher course.
According to the radio message released on Wednesday, Maj Gen Lokech instructed the DPCs to immediately handover their offices to their deputies, the Officers in Charge – OC station.
Police sources who have received the radio message said the training will start on June 6, which is next week on Saturday. It will be held at Olilim Counter-Terrorism Training School in Yumbe district.
The DPCs said the training is a follow up of the meeting which they held with President Yoweri Museveni in March this year at Entebbe State House. During the meeting which was initiated by Lokech, Museveni reportedly expressed dissatisfaction with the way DPCs are handling issues, causing insecurity such as land grabbing, corruption, domestic violence and robberies.
“The president was not happy and he blamed many of us of allowing youth to form criminal gangs, which terrorize people.
“The DIGP promised to send all commanders for a refresher course purposely to acquire new knowledge on crime detection and management,” said a source.
Uganda police currently have 161 policing divisions which are headed by officers at the rank of Superintendent of Police –SP. Nevertheless, some of the divisions such as Kampala Central Police Station –CPS, Naggalama are commanded by police officers at the rank of Assistant Superintendent of Police –ASP.
Museveni while speaking to commanders at the Police Council in November 2019 warned that all police officers who were not ready to secure citizens should leave police force. He also warned corrupt police officers. Last month, police confirmed the dismissal of 153 police officers.
