PARLIAMENT TO PROBE UGANDA POLICE
Parliament to probe police
Monday, 1st October, 2007 E-mail article Print article
Nsibambi talks to MPs Okot Ogong and Henry Banyenzaki after the debate yesterday
By Milton Olupot, John Odyek and Apollo Mubiru
PARLIAMENT has decided to set up a select committee to investigate the Uganda Police Force.
The select committee is to look into the force’s recruitment procedures, the curriculum of its training school and the welfare of its personnel, among other issues.
The House, presided over by Deputy Speaker Rebecca Kadaga, unanimously passed the motion raised by Kassiano Wadri. Prime minister Prof. Apolo Nsibambi supported it, saying the Government had nothing to hide.
Parliament will also quiz the turning of the Police Special Branch Directorate into the Police Counter Terrorism Agency, and reports that interdicted police officers were evicted from the barracks.
There have been media reports over the last months that the police recruitment and deployment were dogged by sectarianism.
In 1998, the Government instituted a commission of inquiry into corruption in the force. It was headed by Justice Julia Sebutinde. The probe revealed a lot of irregularities that resulted into the dismissal of some top officers.
The current probe follows the dismissal of 11 officers from the cadet training course and letters showing that they were dismissed from the Police force.
Internal affairs state minister Matia Kasaijja was put to task to explain why serving police officers were dismissed from the training on grounds that they were medically unfit, yet they had undergone medical tests before the training.
Kasaijja angered the MPs when he said: “The police force has procedures for recruitment that are followed, unless parliament now wants to change them, unless Parliament now wants people on crutches to be absorbed into the force.”
Ogenga Latigo accused the minister of trying to trivialise the issue. Florence Nayiga said the minister was uttering discriminatory statements against the disabled.
Kasaija’s insistence that the 11 officers had not been dismissed from the force and were back to their former stations, surprised the MPs. Last week, their dismissal letters were tabled in Parliament.
“There was a mistake somewhere. The said letters were not meant for them and we have moved on to correct the mistake. The 11 officers were not dismissed. They are still serving officers and will go for short courses for promotional purposes,” Kasaija said
Meanwhile, three Daily monitor scribes were yesterday grilled for close to six hours at the criminal investigation directorate headquarters in connection with a Sunday story alleging that soldiers were being trained to take over top police jobs.
The story said at least 40 soldiers had been drafted into the Police training programme to have the force under military control.
The weekend managing editor, Bernard Tabaire, Sunday Monitor editor Henry Ochieng and Chris Obore, the author of the story, were freed on bond. They are expected to return to the CID headquarters in Kibuli today.
CURRENT FRONT PAGE STORIES
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Brigadier Tumukunde flies back from Britain published under citizens right to know act. united nations charter of freedom of expression, media. bravo. the should not threat the journalist. under freedom of press act. in a democratic society.
Monday, 1st October, 2007 E-mail article Print article
Nsibambi talks to MPs Okot Ogong and Henry Banyenzaki after the debate yesterday
By Milton Olupot, John Odyek and Apollo Mubiru
PARLIAMENT has decided to set up a select committee to investigate the Uganda Police Force.
The select committee is to look into the force’s recruitment procedures, the curriculum of its training school and the welfare of its personnel, among other issues.
The House, presided over by Deputy Speaker Rebecca Kadaga, unanimously passed the motion raised by Kassiano Wadri. Prime minister Prof. Apolo Nsibambi supported it, saying the Government had nothing to hide.
Parliament will also quiz the turning of the Police Special Branch Directorate into the Police Counter Terrorism Agency, and reports that interdicted police officers were evicted from the barracks.
There have been media reports over the last months that the police recruitment and deployment were dogged by sectarianism.
In 1998, the Government instituted a commission of inquiry into corruption in the force. It was headed by Justice Julia Sebutinde. The probe revealed a lot of irregularities that resulted into the dismissal of some top officers.
The current probe follows the dismissal of 11 officers from the cadet training course and letters showing that they were dismissed from the Police force.
Internal affairs state minister Matia Kasaijja was put to task to explain why serving police officers were dismissed from the training on grounds that they were medically unfit, yet they had undergone medical tests before the training.
Kasaijja angered the MPs when he said: “The police force has procedures for recruitment that are followed, unless parliament now wants to change them, unless Parliament now wants people on crutches to be absorbed into the force.”
Ogenga Latigo accused the minister of trying to trivialise the issue. Florence Nayiga said the minister was uttering discriminatory statements against the disabled.
Kasaija’s insistence that the 11 officers had not been dismissed from the force and were back to their former stations, surprised the MPs. Last week, their dismissal letters were tabled in Parliament.
“There was a mistake somewhere. The said letters were not meant for them and we have moved on to correct the mistake. The 11 officers were not dismissed. They are still serving officers and will go for short courses for promotional purposes,” Kasaija said
Meanwhile, three Daily monitor scribes were yesterday grilled for close to six hours at the criminal investigation directorate headquarters in connection with a Sunday story alleging that soldiers were being trained to take over top police jobs.
The story said at least 40 soldiers had been drafted into the Police training programme to have the force under military control.
The weekend managing editor, Bernard Tabaire, Sunday Monitor editor Henry Ochieng and Chris Obore, the author of the story, were freed on bond. They are expected to return to the CID headquarters in Kibuli today.
CURRENT FRONT PAGE STORIES
Buveera ban takes effect
Brigadier Tumukunde flies back from Britain published under citizens right to know act. united nations charter of freedom of expression, media. bravo. the should not threat the journalist. under freedom of press act. in a democratic society.
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