Why contracts of six AIGPs are yet to be renewed

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT  | It has emerged that six top senior police officers at the rank of Assistant Inspector General of Police –AIGP are yet to have their contracts renewed more than a year when they expired.

The affected officers include director legal, Erasmus Twaruhukwa, director Fire and Emergency Rescue Services, Joseph Mugisa, director Traffic Police, Dr Steven Kasiima, Police Attaché to New York, Haruna Isabirye, director Welfare and Production, Lemmy Musa Twinomugisha, director and Interpol Special Representative to African Union, Francis Rwego.

Source said most of the AIGPs whose contracts have been put on halt for over a year were found with gaps in management and accountability. Every senior police officer heading a directorate submits a report for his past two years.

The reports are deliberated by Police Authority which is spearheaded by Internal Affairs minister and has among other members State Minister for Internal Affairs, former IGP John Cossy Odomel, Internal Affairs Permanent Secretary and Inspector General of Police.

Some of the directors, according to source at Naguru police headquarters, have since indicated their dissatisfaction with uncertainties reading their future in Uganda Police Force –UPF to Inspector General of Police, John Martins Okoth Ochola.

Police Spokesperson, Fred Enanga, confirmed that contracts for AIGP Kasiima, AIGP Mugisa, AIGP Twinomugisha, AIGP Isabirye, AIGP Twaruhukwa and AIGP Rwego expired sometime back but they have been operating on a communication from line minister Gen Jeje Odongo.

Enanga explains that Gen Odongo who is also Internal Affairs minister wrote to the affected AIGPs informing them that their applications for renewal of their contracts were submitted but they were waiting for approval by President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni who is the appointing authority.

Police said the AIGPs were left in office for purposes of continuity as they wait for whether Museveni will approve their contracts or not.

Gen Odongo, last week, wrote again to Ochola, ordering for the stay of all affected AIGPS. “In order not to disrupt continuity of service, particularly at this time, this guide you to allow the concerned/affected officers stay in office until appointing authority determines otherwise,” reads Gen Odongo’s letter.

A source said some of the affected officers have since threatened to quit offices in the next two months if their contracts are not renewed. Some AIGPs have been waiting for renewal of their contracts ever since former IGP Gen Edward Kale Kayihura was sacked in March 2018.

“They were told that [Gen] Kayihura had frustrated their contracts for unknown reasons. But to their surprise, the situation has remained the same two years after [IGP] Ochola took over. Some have already prepared their handover reports and waiting for a communication ordering them to quit,” source said.

Sources added that some AIGPs feature in the list of senior police officers who had connived with former logistics director, AIGP Godfrey Bangirana, who personalized police cars.

Last year a whistle blower notified Ochola that a number of police vehicles were personalized by senior officers to do their private work.

Among the senior officers who were cited in the car scandal include AIGP Lemmy Musa Twinomugisha. A police car UAX 788L had been registered in his name while UAX 831N recorded in the name of Rogers Muhirwa, the Police undersecretary.

AIGP Bangirana was kicked out office in November last year by court after he had defied IGP Ochola’s order to vacate office as his contract had expired. He was replaced with Senior Commissioner of Police –SCP Richard Edyegu.

Other than six AIGPs whose contracts have not been renewed, seven others are also on the verge as their office tenures expire in May, June and July. These include director Chief Political Commissar AIGP Asan Kasingye, director Research AIGP Edward Ochom, director Peace Support Operations AIGP Grace Turyagumanawe, director Counter-Terrorism AIGP Abbas Byakagaba, director Interpol AIGP Moses Balimwoyo, AIGP John Ndungutse and AIGP Andrew Soroweni.

At least two AIGPs Elizabeth Muwanga and Fred Yiga quit in 2018 and 2019 respectively after they waited for renewal of their contracts in vain. AIGP Muwanga was director Welfare and Production while AIGP Yiga was director Interpol.

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