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Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Ministry of Public Service has officially phased out the position of Law Enforcement Assistant and revised job descriptions across local governments, affecting the Law Enforcement Officer cadre. Law enforcement officers, employed to enforce laws, protect people and property, and maintain public safety, particularly in urban areas, were initially recruited with diplomas and certificates.
The scheme of cadres included Senior Law Enforcement Officers, Law Enforcement Officers, Assistant Law Enforcement Officers, and Law Enforcement Assistants. However, there have been ongoing complaints about low pay relative to job responsibilities, and many officers upgraded their academic qualifications without receiving promotions.
In the new Approved Scheme of Service for Law Enforcement Officers, issued on 9th December 2024 by Catherine Bitarakwate Musingwiire, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Public Service, the functions and academic requirements have been streamlined to encourage career progression and retention.
According to the circular, Standing Instruction No. 15 of 2024, the position of Law Enforcement Assistant has been phased out. The remaining three positions—Senior Law Enforcement Officer, Law Enforcement Officer, and Assistant Law Enforcement Officer—now have revised academic requirements and updated salary scales.
A Senior Law Enforcement Officer or Law Enforcement Officer must now possess an Honors Degree in Law, Development Studies, or Social Science, along with formal training in policing and criminal investigations from a recognized institution. A Senior Law Enforcement Officer must have three years of experience in a government position or a reputable organization, while no experience is required to be recruited as a Law Enforcement Officer.
For the Assistant Law Enforcement Officer role, candidates must have a diploma in Law, Development Studies, or Social Science, with formal training in policing and criminal investigations. In the new structure, salaries have also been revised. A Senior Law Enforcement Officer will now earn 990,000 shillings (up from 449,000), a Law Enforcement Officer will earn 760,000 shillings (up from 449,000), and the Law Enforcement Assistant will receive 470,000 shillings (up from 337,000).
Bitarakwate has directed Chief Administrative Officers and other responsible officers to submit names of law enforcement officers to District or City Service Commissions for validation, redesignation, and appointment of new entrants. “Where posts have been phased out, serving officers shall be considered for appointment to higher grades, provided they meet the minimum qualifications and experience,” the circular reads.
Additionally, in a separate circular dated 16th December 2024, Bitarakwate retired the Job Descriptions and Person Specifications for 2011 and 2017 and issued updated versions for 2024. The new specifications require town clerks, department heads, and principal officers to possess an Honors Bachelor’s Degree, a Master’s Degree in specific fields, and nine years of experience.
For Chief Administrative Officers or Deputy Chief Administrative Officers, the required qualifications include an Honors Bachelor’s Degree, a Master’s Degree, a Certificate in Administrative Law, and 12 years of experience. The revised job descriptions also specify that positions like Sub County Chiefs, Senior Information Officers, and Accountants must hold an Honors Bachelor’s Degree, along with professional certificates from accredited institutions.
Other roles now require Honors Bachelor’s Degrees or diplomas. The circular, however, retains the academic requirements for office typists, who need a certificate in secretarial studies, and office attendants and drivers, who are the lowest-paid cadres in local governments. By the time the Public Service Ministry issued the circulars, districts like Luwero and Nakasongola had already placed adverts seeking to recruit new entrants and promote those already in service.
Aggrey Winston Muramira, the Chief Administrative Officer of Nakasongola, said that upon receiving the new Job Descriptions and Person Specifications, all new recruitments and promotions would be made per the circular.
Martin Paul Yiga, the Deputy Chief Administrative Officer of Luwero, and Bernard Okello, the Luwero District Principal Human Resource Officer, also confirmed receipt of the circulars. Okello stated that the circulars would guide the ongoing recruitment to avoid legal challenges.
He also noted that the validation and redesignation of law enforcement officers would proceed once the necessary funds are secured. “There have been issues with retaining staff, especially law enforcement officers because they were earning less in local government, while private practice offered better pay. Many of our law enforcement officers already have diplomas or Honors Bachelor’s Degrees, so they will benefit from the reforms,” Okello said.
Okello welcomed the new circulars, stating that they would provide guidance for staff, especially those seeking promotions, and streamline operations. However, there is anxiety among senior officers with Honors Bachelor’s Degrees and postgraduate diplomas, as they may lose their jobs in the next restructuring, which is expected in 2027.
Under the new Job Description and Person Specification 2024, only applicants with Honors Bachelor’s Degrees are eligible for recruitment, and those with pass degrees will not qualify for promotion.
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