Mean looking AK-47 toting Police constables will soon disappear from the streets as the force moves to introduce sidearm pistols, the universally accepted weapons in modern policing.
The Inspector General of Police, Maj. Gen. Kale Kayihura, told a press conference at the Police Headquarters in Kampala on Friday that the change of weapons was part of a broader plan to transform the Police from a force into a service.
“We should not be carrying assault rifles on the streets of Kampala…. It is crude to arm Police with AK 47. It is by default. If we had enough budget we would acquire modern weapons,” he said.
He said that AK-47 rifles will be kept in Police vehicles and will only be used as backup whenever need arises. “Even the military should keep their weapons in the armoury when they are not using them,” he said.
Kayihura added that the Ugandan Police has established close links with the British Police and Ireland’s Police Garda Siochana (Guardians of the peace of Ireland) to equip the force with modern techniques ahead of next year’s elections.
Senior officers, Patrick Leahy, the Chief Superintendent in charge of Dublin, and Kevin Smith of Britain, were recently in Uganda to assess how to help Uganda Police build professionalism. They are looking at equipping the force with techniques on how to respond to challenging situations during elections.
Kayihura says the partnership with the British and Irish Police is a deliberate effort to modernise and build capacity of the national Police Force. Already, three Police officers from Uganda are undergoing training in the UK.
Kayihura says that the Police will effectively transform from a force to a service and hence become the Uganda Police Service.
He said that his goal is to build a modern Police Service that has a human rights approach, can handle terrorism challenges and deal with drug trafficking, human sacrifice, money laundering and cyber crime.
“Britain and Ireland are keen on assisting us [so that] the coming general elections are handled under] best practices to rule out shortcomings of the past,” he said.
Leahy and Smith, who were in Uganda for a week, visited the Police Training School in Masindi, the Electoral Commission, and held talks with some civil society organisations.
“Out of our visit we will get a prescriptive basis on which to begin collaboration in specialised areas,” Smith said. He added that Uganda needs to immediately address the living conditions of Police officers and improve their salaries.
“If you don’t pay Police well, you will get a substandard service. Invest in Police for professional service, but if you don’t they will not do what is required to protect the people,” Smith said.
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Tell that to AKagutaM7 written by Kalooli Muzzukulu wa Nkali , March 07, 2010
My rib cage almost cracked with laughter when I saw the photo of our president with an AK 47 slinged on his shoulder in the Masaba mountains. The addition of a walking stick and camouflage garments was reminiscence of the elusive Tora Bora mountains Sabayeekera.
... written by matooke , March 07, 2010
Tell me again, How about the Kadogos ( child soldiers )wielding AK47 when NRM came to power. Museveni should stop carrying AK47 like he is still in the bush fighting, we are tired of war, intimidation, violence from the security services, ISO JATT and the rest. police should not even be given pistols but Battons and Whisles.
Another danger! written by Rev Amos Kasibante , March 08, 2010
This is good thinking from IGP Kayihura: a police service instead of police force. A police service is efficient (properly trained and equipped). It understands the language of "saidia polisi iliwekusaidie" (help the police to help you).
Without co-operation between the public (the majority of whom are not criminals) and the police, policing becomes an experiment in frustration or brutalilty.
Of course the IGP knows another danger police armed with AK47 swarming the city and other towns.
It means that some bandit group (of section or platoon size) can acquire police uniforms and mingle easily with the crowd - using the element of disguise - and launch an attack.
... written by Jim Kamezza , March 08, 2010
m7 and his Angel of death Kayihura militised the police and now they are undoing what they have wasted money and time on .
It is NOT Kayihura to put back the police as it was ,because he still has that mentality of the Kisangaani Military Governor, police is a civilian service not a partisan force Kayikuraaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
Real Kalooli written by Wandawa , March 08, 2010
You will neever go for rescue missions when you can not rescue yourself.What intensions do you have towards our president?
Do you really know that you become a soldier only if your are fully equiped with military gear? so what is your problem if his Excellence(soldier) was with his weapon?
And where were you and what were you doing at the time the president ran to rescue? It is a sign that besides other military operations the UPDF can still handle rouges like you.Budada issue needs action rather than you alarming from aside when our brothers are in need.So you Bird(Kalooli) wake up!
Mr written by kabayekka , March 08, 2010
What has happened to the war situation so that AK 47 can be stored? One hopes that these foreign military advisers are not going to remove civilian gun license as well so that the courageous Baganda tribesmen can go back to using spear and axe for self defence.
WANDAWA:YOU'RE INDEED SPOT ON. written by DAVID , March 08, 2010
Thanks Wandawa for highlighting the role of the armed forces to that benighted fool(read Kalooli).This dilettante together with others at large are just there to post their crap on this site due to the political sadism they exhibit against M7 and the NRM.
Such a person will soon be complaining why the armed UPDF is also undertaking humanitarian missions in the African troubled spots like Somalia.Little wonder that he was angered by the army's communal activities throughout the country on the eve of the Army day(Tarehe Sita of 06/02/2010).
That marabou should expand his blogosphere coverage by clicking on the Haiti crisis where he'll discover pictures of US troops undertaking humanitarian work shoulder armed with their assault rifles.Hoping that this time,his rib cage won't be split apart by silly laughter!!!!
Did Kayihura have be Reminded? written by Joseph , March 09, 2010
I am surprised that Mr Kayihura had to be told by the British police that carrying assault riffles in our towns and cities is irregular! Mr Kayihura has travelled to other countries and I am certain he never saw assault riffles except in war zones. He should have taken credit for their removal years ago. Now the credit will go the British police!
... written by collin , March 09, 2010
I take this with a high level of suspicion. There must be a hidden agenda in doing this.
Marabou Stork Kalooli and the laughing stock written by Kalooli Muzzukulu wa Nkali , March 09, 2010
Comrade Wandawa,laughing is a human right and laughing at ownself is fine to me,I am Kalooli the bird,a marabou stork. Since as a boy to now at ever half a century I have come to like it. I also laugh at anybody come what may. I am sorry our fountain of honour made a laughing stock of himself. An AK47 shoulder slinged,a walking stick and camoulaged jacket and the mountains. This was to me impersonating that elusive man who vowed to take on the only superpower as he was last seen in the Tora Bora mountains.
Mean looking AK-47 toting Police constables will soon disappear from the streets as the force moves to introduce sidearm pistols, the universally accepted weapons in modern policing.
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