Lack of funds delay completion of police housing units

Kampala, Uganda  | THE INDEPENDENT | Construction of 1,000 housing units for junior police officers has been hindered by lack of funds.

A feasibility study conducted in 2015 in regard to accommodation of juniors officers in Kampala Metropolitan established that over 10,000 housing units were needed to minimize accommodation puzzle.

The logistics and engineering directorate then headed by AIGP Godfrey Bangirana told the then Inspector General of Police –IGP Gen Kale Kayihura, that it was impossible to construct the 10000 units at ago.

Chaired by Gen Kayihura, Police Advisory Committee –PAC settled for 1,020 housing units as a pilot project. Construction of the units was expected to be completed at least in a period of two to three years depending on available funds.

Gen Kayihura flanked by State Minister for Internal Affairs, Mario Obiga Kania, launched the construction exercise on September 27, 2016. Police’s engineering unit was to first construct 17 blocks each having four floors. Each floor would contain 15 apartments totaling to 60 housing unit on every block.

It is now three and a half years but the work has stalled.

The Acting police director for engineering and logistics, Richard Edyegu notes that work is in progress even though they admit the work has been hindered by lack of funds. According to police, more than 60 billion is required to complete the project.

Police say the first seven structures that will accommodate 360 police officers ranging from the rank of Constable to Inspector.

The Police Spokesperson Fred Enanga said one structure constructed at a tune of 6.9 billion shillings will soon be completed. Enanga says the building has been fully painted and waits to be handed over to the first beneficiaries who will be junior officers operating the National CCTV Command Centre at Naguru police headquarters.

Over the years, accommodation has been one of the major challenges faced by junior police officers living in Kampala Metropolitan that covers Kampala City, Wakiso, Mukono, parts of Mpigi and Kayunga districts.

More than 50 percent of the estimated police personnel live in Kampala and close to about 20000 or more police officers are believed be staying in Kampala Metropolitan barracks such as Naguru, Kakiri and Nsambya.

Others live at the 18 police divisions that include Kampala Central Police Station –CPS, Old Kampala, Katwe, Naggalama, Mukono, Entebbe, Wakiso and Kawempe.

Sources at Naguru who preferred anonymity also intimated that housing units’ construction had dragged because private companies and business persons who had promised to provide items such as cement, bricks and sand backtracked after the sacking of Gen Kayihura. Kayihura were fired by President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni on March 4, 2018.

Edyegu adds that when the construction of first seven structures is complete, plan for other remaining 11 blocks will commence. Nevertheless, it is not clear when the finished block will be occupied by the team operating CCTV Command Centre.

President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni opened the CCTV Command Centre also known as Nation Security Command Centre on November 28 last year. Police leadership on December 19 of the same year appointed 57 junior officers to operate the centre.

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