KAMPALA – The Network of Public Interest Lawyers (NEPTIL) is considering pushing for a private members bill to establish a police service commission in order to ‘demilitarize’ the force and make it more civilian.
According to James Nkuubi, a researcher at NEPTIL, these were recommendations from judicial inquiries which by law are supposed to be deployed to guide the nation.
“What is missing in the police is bringing the civilians to have a say, not to just leave for the military and the state to hijack it and do as they wish,” he said.
Nkuubi made was speaking during the National Symposium on the Rule of Law, Human Rights, and Policing in Uganda, aimed at identifying and documenting the initiatives for reforming the Uganda Police Force since 1986, their objectives, context, and the issues they sought to address in order to create a democratic, accountable, people-centered, effective, and efficient national police force.
“We are aware of all the circumstances under which police operates, with the military taking it over. We continue to work around the reforms that leads to its demilitarization but also reforms that will bring it back to the civilian because that’s what it’s supposed to be.”
Muhammad Muwanga Kivumbi, the Member of Parliament for Butambala County called for change of the government which he blamed for using the police for its own benefits.
“We cannot change the police to work for the people unless we change the government.”
“We are talking about a president who is now 86 years old. We need to have this conversation.”
Kivumbi is not certain that in case of president’s passing on, the Vice President can freely assume office as stipulated by the Constitution.
“This is a discussion we must have, and as senior citizens, we need to engage President Museveni on the realities of life.”
Dr. John Kamya, the head of curriculum and doctrine at the Uganda Police said that they are satisfied of their service to Ugandans, asking all those unsatisfied with them to establish ways of checking them.
“Yes, you say that we should be accountable to the people but who is our commander in chief,” he wondered blames of serving the president before Ugandans.
According to him, they are better than some other countries in observing the rule of law.
“We are conducting policing in the most civilized and popular manner. You only need to observe other countries to see how their police handle their citizens. We are developing our doctrine, and the process is underway,” he said.
Kamya added that those interested in police reforms should take the lead in driving these efforts. He also highlighted that the police force has its own authority, headed by the Minister of Internal Affairs, which provides them with a level of comfort.
Study shows that when the NRM assumed power in 1986, the government initiated discussions on police reforms, introducing numerous proposals aimed at making the police force more accountable and inclusive, with civilian participation at the forefront. However, the legal experts argue that the majority of these reforms have not been implemented.
The findings also indicate that Parliament has been inconsistent in implementing resolutions related to police accountability, often due to the vetoing of such initiatives by NRM MPs.
It also indicates that the monetization and commercialization of politics in the country have further complicated the situation, allowing the executive to exert influence through monetary donations and appointments to secure support from Members of Parliament.
Study calls for a comprehensive research effort as a crucial to assess the feasibility of the recommendations in light of the evolving political landscape and policing roles that will also help identify progress, setbacks, and potential solutions to ensure the implementation of these reforms.
