New police posts to boost security in Karamoja

Moroto, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Karamoja sub-region is set to get seven community police posts and staff quarters for police officers with the hope of improving security. The Office of the Prime Minister-OPM contracted seven firms last year to build the police posts in Abim, Amudat, Karenga, Kotido, Moroto, Napak, and Nakapiripirit districts at 4.8billion Shillings under the Development Initiative for Northern Uganda (DINU) with funding from the European Union.

The DINU Programme Engineer Eliseo Oyoo, says that the construction works are currently at about 85% and the facilities are expected to be ready by the end of this September. “The contractor for Morulem in Abim District will soon start electrical installation and plastering. The rest of the contractors have finished roofing and will start plastering works,” he said.

He was speaking during a field monitoring of the construction works of the community police posts and accommodation facilities by the Uganda Police Force team in Abim and Kotido districts. “Each of the seven police posts shall be equipped with solar power, furniture, two motorcycles to support officers transport, a water harvesting system, and a borehole. The total support to Uganda Police Force (UPF) is estimated at Shs5.4Bn,” he said.

Micheal Longole, the Mt. Moroto regional police spokesperson has expressed gratitude for the project saying the police have for long been grappling with a shortage of accommodation for their personnel. Longole says that some police posts still under construction like Nakiloro in Moroto and Alakas in Amudat district are situated along the borderline and will help to suffocate arms trafficking from neighboring Kenya.

He revealed that they have enough manpower and they are only waiting for the completion of the construction to deploy at the new police posts.

Timothy Halang, the Senior Commissioner of Police who is also the deputy director of Research, Planning, and Development in the Uganda Police Force, said Karamoja has had a long history of insecurity, which has led to low levels of development in the area.

Halango said the security situation in Karamoja will greatly improve because the new posts will increase police presence in the area since the facilities have majorly been established in the blackspots for warriors and raiding activities.

“I would like to thank the Office of the Prime Minister and the European Union for continuously supporting police over the years, especially in the Karamoja sub-region. Your intervention has greatly enabled UPF to have tremendous achievements as far as enforcement of law and order is concerned,” he said.

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