Planned merger of police posts sparks protests in Luwero

Luwero, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Luwero district security committee has approved a plan to merge various police posts because of insecurity. This comes three days after unknown assailants stormed Busiika police station on Monday evening, and shot dead two police officers and injured two others critically before making off with two firearms.

Security is yet to arrest the assailants, recover the firearms and establish the motive of the attack. Richard Bwabye, the Luwero Resident District Commissioner explains that in the wake of the attack, the District Security Committee has resolved to re-enforce and merge various police posts because of the security threats.

According to Bwabye, the District Security Committee has approved the merging of Wabitungulu police post with Zirobwe police station, Kasiiso police post and Buntuntumula police station, Kasana police station and Luwero Central Police Station and transfer Kabunyata and Mazzi police posts to Kamira police station.

He also says that they have approved the re-enforcement of Kakinzi and Vvumba police posts and the deployment of police patrols backed by the Uganda People’s Defense Force in Busiika town council after the relocation of the police station to Bugema police post. Bwabye explains that they have established that the police posts were at risk of attacks due to inadequate manpower and substandard structures they have been operating from.

He says that the plan was drafted in consultation with the Inspector General of Police and other security agencies. “The plan is intended to solve the existing security problem and make a good plan for the existing stations as well as secure the installations,’’ Bwabye told URN. However, the proposed merger of the police station and outposts has drawn resistance from residents and local leaders.

Sperito Kiroli, the LC III chairperson of Zirobwe sub-county, says that the move may expose the communities to insecurity. He explains that the police posts were set up to address the high crimes where they were established and they have been playing a key role. “We ask the police to go slow on the plan because theft and other crimes may resurface due to the lack of posts to stop them,’’ Kiroli said.

David Kalungi, the Kamira sub-county LCV councilor says that various crimes may go unreported because complainants may fail to trek long distances to access services at Kamira police station, which is in the town council. Erastus Kibirango, the Luwero LC5 chairperson says that the attackers may shift focus to communities where there are no police posts to restrain them.

Kibirango has appealed for the deployment of UPDF personnel to re-enforce police posts with manpower gaps rather than merging them. “Why does the government deploy soldiers to every town during elections but can’t do so to protect police posts and their firearms?” Kibirango questioned.

Patrick Lule, the acting Savannah Regional Police Spokesperson confirmed the plan to merge the police posts but said he didn’t have a list of affected police posts to comment further. In July this year, unknown assailants stabbed two policemen at the roadblock at Kiwumpa village, five kilometers from Luwero town council before disappearing with two guns.

To date, police are yet to recover the guns or arrest the assailants. The checkpoint has since been removed and replaced with a mobile unit. In 2015, the former Inspector General of Police-IGP, Edward Kale Kayihura bowed to public pressure to re-open Kasana police post that he closed following an attack by thugs.

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