On behalf of the entire Uganda Police Force and on my own behalf, I welcome and also express my deep appreciation that Your Excellency the President have found time amidst your busy schedule to honor our invitation to preside over this pass out.
Your Excellency, your presence, the endless support and the invaluable strategic guidance rendered to us, is a strong testimony of your continued commitment in building the Uganda Police Force.
Sir, permit me also to welcome all the other dignitaries and visitors for honoring this occasion.
At a time when the so called ‘developed countries’ are stuck with coming to terms with proper records of deaths and victims of COVID-19 pandemic, the Uganda Police Force is successfully passing out all the 4,809 fully tested COVID -19 negative trainees, courtesy of Your Excellency’s endless guidance.
Your Excellency, I also report with satisfaction that a total of 1,128 female recruits out of 4809 have finished the course with their male counterparts. This is yet another manifestation of Your commitment in ensuring equal opportunities to all sections of our population.
Sir, in line with Your strategic guidance and Manifesto of securing Ugandans and their property, our key priorities are in the following areas:-
- Reorganizing deployments based on sub-county model.
- Equipping the personnel with the appropriate tools (including transport equipment) for response.
- Improve communication both internally and with the community.
- Develop and implement Standard Operating Procedures for response to calls.
- Continued capacity building.
- Patriotism and ideological orientation.
- Strengthening crime intelligence.
- Increased application of scientific tools in crime investigations
- Increase capacity to investigate crime through specialized training and acquisition of necessary equipment.
- Reviewing the case management protocols to expedite inquiries, automate file management to facilitate better oversight of investigations.
- Addressing the general welfare of the personnel.
- Continuous growth in strength; currently, the Force’s strength stands at 46,614 against a population of 41,638,636, giving a ratio of 1:893. This reaffirms the need for recruitment of additional 2,000-3,000 personnel annually in order to counter attrition and attain the much-needed growth in numbers.
Your Excellency, We therefore still crave for your watchful eye and ideas in fulfilling our dreams especially as we approach the 2021 General elections.
To the grandaunts, policing is a very rewarding career. But the rewards of this profession are for those who are disciplined, committed, patriotic and patient. As young and new members of the Force, consider yourselves fortunate to have been selected and entrusted to serve.
You have joined a noble profession that calls for continuous training and personal sacrifice to ensure effective and efficient performance. Equally important, you must distinguish yourselves by carrying out your duty with integrity, honesty, discipline and respect to authority. You must adhere to every norm, rule and law that governs your operations. Your loyalty as a Police officer is to the State and government as you serve.
The country has invested so much in you and therefore, we expect you to serve the people of this country unreservedly. I specifically appeal to you to remain healthy and, continue observing and enforcing the COVID-19 guidelines to curb the pandemic as we protect and Serve.
As I conclude, I once again welcome and thank Your Excellency for honoring our invitation. I also wish to express my sincere appreciation to the Government of the Republic Uganda. In particular, I pay special tribute to Your Excellency for the personal interest in UPF capacity building and professionalization. Please accept my gratitude and my assurance that as the Inspector General of Police, I will strive to guide and shape these new police officers into good servants of our country.
With those remarks, I humbly invite the Hon. Minister of Internal Affairs to give his remarks and thereafter invite His Excellency the President of the Republic of Uganda.
Thank you Sir.
FOR GOD AND MY COUNTRY
J.M.Okoth-Ochola, (Esq.)
INSPECTOR GENERAL OF POLICE
