KAMPALA – The Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIGP) Andrew Sorowen has assured officers of maximum support and improved welfare to enable them access improved standards of living.
This comes shortly after a city lawyer Steven Kalali sued the government over poor housing structures in police facilities.
In his April 27th application, Kalali asked the High Court to order the government to immediately provide decent housing for all police personnel in Uganda.
Backing his petition with photos of dilapidated housing units in Mbale, Jinja and Nsambya Police Barracks and the Auditor General Reports for 2012, 2016 and 2020, which pointed to the sorry state of the police barracks, Kalali argues that since the promulgation of the 1995 Constitution, police officers have continued staying in dilapidated structures unfit for human habitation.
Now, during a groundbreaking ceremony of the construction of the parking yard for trucks that deliver building materials at Nsambya duty-free headquarters in Kampala on Saturday, Sorowen revealed that the government has allocated funds to spearhead this process to all the armed officers with Police inclusive.
“We are taking the issue of welfare of our personnel seriously in terms of office accommodation and housing units.” Echoed the AIGP adding, “This will help them work with morale and perform perfectly police work when rest assured of their families having a comfortable place to sleep.”
On the construction of the parking yard for trucks, Sorowen reiterated that IGP allocated funds to help work upon the yard that will ease deliveries of duty-free materials.
Previously, the tracks used to get stuck during the loading and offloading of building materials.
Additionally, the Assistant Commissioner of Police Haji Sulaiman Kirungi, head duty-free shop appealed to the officers to make use of the available opportunity and construct decent homes.
“All Police officers are welcomed to make use of the available opportunity and construct at a cheaper cost and own decent homes. These materials are tax-free which make it easy for them compared to the market prices.”
He applauded the IGP and the government for the offer to Police officers and pledged to guide them in achieving the intended objectives.
Duty-free shop has twelve branches throughout the country where officers can go and access building materials at cheaper costs.
These include, Kampala, Rwizi,Fortportal, Greater Masaka, Bushenyi, Gulu, Soroti, Kigezi, Hoima, Jinja, Mbale and Arua.
Recall that a month, a group of legislators visited Jinja Police Barracks where they were greeted with dilapidated structures built-in 1934. Also, Jinja Police barracks is home to 1,662 people as opposed to the planned population of 249 people.
