Police personnel withdrawn from private installations in Luwero

Luwero, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The police leadership in Luwero district has withdrawn its personnel from guarding private property in a move to re-enforce its installations. There are 978 policemen in the Savannah Police Region comprising of Luwero, Nakaseke, and Nakasongola districts.

However, scores of police officers have been guarding factories and private property leaving the public crying foul over inadequate manpower at police stations. Now as police move to re-organize and protect their installations as well as communities against attacks, commanders have withdrawn policemen from private property.

This is one of the strategies to help the Force achieve the target of deploying 18 policemen at every station. Patrick Lule, the Acting Savannah Region Police Spokesperson says that the affected private installations have been advised to hire private security guards since they have redeployed their officers to boost police stations.

Lule says that they have also established the Flying Squad Unit and Riders’ Brigade to boost their responses as well as arrest criminals.

The changes are also intended to secure the district during the festival season. Erastus Kibirango, the Luwero LC 5 Chairperson has welcomed the withdrawal of police personnel from private property, saying they can afford to hire their own guards. Kibirango says that several police posts were unable to respond and fight crime due to inadequate manpower with some of their colleagues guarding factories.

Ahmed Kasibante, the Busiika town councilor has asked the Uganda Police Force to facilitate its officers if the re-organization is to improve their services. Kasibante says that following the attack on Busiika Police Station, the Force merged it with Bugema Police Post and left the area without security. He says that although the Force deployed a patrol van, it stopped operations a week later due to the lack of fuel.

Richard Bwabye, the Luwero Resident District Commissioner said that fuel is not enough due to little funding for the Force. He has asked the District council to allocate some funds to help police in its operations that aim at securing the residents.

At least five security personnel have been killed and six guns were stolen in various attacks in Luwero district. In July this year, four men armed with machetes overran a police checkpoint in Kiwumpa village along the Kampala-Gulu highway and hacked two police constables leaving one dead, and made off with two firearms.

On October 31st, 2022, about seven assailants armed with a pistol and firearms raided Busiika police station and shot dead two policemen. The thugs made off with two firearms. One of the police officers succumbed to the gunshot wounds a few days later at Mulago National Referral Hospital.

On Tuesday evening, President Yoweri Museveni assured the country that there is no security threat that can’t be dealt with. He said all Ugandans need to do is to be vigilant and report any threats to the nearest security forces for quick action. He said most of those who have been involved in attacks on security forces have either been killed or are in jail awaiting their time in court.

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