The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kabale, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | More than 100 former Special Police Constables – SPCs who were deployed to provide security for the 2021 election activities in Kabale district have finally received their salaries.
Police recruited the SPCs in December last year to complement its work of law enforcement during the general elections. The SPCs signed a three-month contract running from January to March. Each of the constables was entitled to Shillings 370,000 monthly. They were also promised 40,000 Shillings per voting day.
However in February, the SPCs stormed Kabale Central Police Station to demand payment of allowances. They threatened to stage illegal operations to extort money from the public citing nonpayment of their allowances.
On Tuesday, the SPCs received messages on their phones informing them to go to Kabale police Station and receive their salaries.
Sheila Kesande, a resident of Nyakambu cell in Southern division, Kabale municipality said she had almost given up on the money. Kesande who received 1.2 Million Shillings for January, February and March said she would use the money to start up a salon.
Manzi Uthman Ali said he will pay the debts he has accumulated since January. Ali demanded an investigation into the delayed payment of their salaries.
The Kigezi Region Commander Dan Byaruhanga said that the SPCs who were paid were recruited late in the second batch. He explained that approval of their recruitment was delayed by the Human Resource Office at the headquarters in Kampala and hence they had not received appointment letters by the time they were deployed at the polling stations.
Byaruhanga said payment of their salaries could not be possible before the arrival of the appointment letters.
After receiving their money, the former SPCs handed in batons and uniforms, which they had threatened to confiscate. They were also given certificates of appreciation from the Uganda Police Force.
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