The Inspector General of Police

If you could be someone else for a day, who would you be, and why?

The Crime Report 2024 by the Uganda Police Force is out. In it are things that make me wish I were the Inspector General of Police (IGP), even for just one day. I know that it is unlikely that my wish will ever come true.

I mean, gender-wise, there is only one woman, AIGP Hadijah Namutebi, Director Welfare, Production and Sports, who is among the 27 leaders of the top echelon of the Force, as published in the Report.

The top echelon of the leadership of the Force is:

President of Uganda, His Excellency Yoweri Kagutta Museveni, male.
Minister of Internal Affairs Maj. Gen. (Rtd) Kahinda Otaffire, male.
Minister of State Internal Affairs Gen. David Rubakuba Muhoozi, male.
PS Ministry of Internal Affairs Lt. Gen. Joseph Musanyufu, male.
IGP Byakagaba Abas, male.
Deputy IGP Ocaya James, male.
Under Secretary Police Aggrey Wunyi, male.
19 of the 20 heads of departments (directors and commissioners), male.

Seeing as chances of me ever being the first ever female IGP are non-existent, my next best wish would be to be the person in the same room with the IGP; and whom the IGP is required to listen to for one day.

In that day, in the room, this is what I would tell the IGP and I hope he acts on it:

First, Sir, IGP, I really liked your “Foreword” to the Crime Report. No hogwash in it, it was direct and to the point. Loved that.

I deduce from the Report that a major aspiration for our nation-state is to have in place a functional and effective “professional and people-centered police force, for a safe and secure society.”

And so, what I would have loved and is missing from the Report is a chapter dedicated to describing the Police Force. In fact, it should be what is contained in Chapter One of the Crime Report.

What is the numeric size of the Force?
What is the quality of the Force?
What are the demographics – age, gender, etc. of the Force?
How is the Force distributed and equipped to serve countrywide?
What percentage served well?
What percentage were bad apples and weeded out?

Preferably, this descriptive information of the Force would be categorized in the Report by the different directorates.

Within that chapter which describes the Force, in the Report, I would have liked to read about crime by members of the Force and how such cases were handled, disciplinary action taken and victims made whole.

I mean, there is a whole unit, the Police Professional Standards Unit (PSU), that is established for the purpose to receive complaints against serving members of the Force.

How many cases did PSU receive in 2024?
Who reported them?
Were those who complained female or male?
Where the members of the force for whom complaints were made against male or female?
Was it members of the Force complaining against each other?

As for me, I am among those who reported a case against Regional Police Commander Bukedi North, Moses Kitiyo Mwanga; and against the Pallisa District Police Commander, Moses Kakiryo.

I complained against them for seemingly aiding a criminal in disobedience of court orders, contempt of court, gender-based violence and land grabbing.

Read “City lawyer Silver Adowa ordered to stop destruction of half sister’s gardens in Pallisa” for more insights in the Court order being disobeyed.

In a letter dated 6^th November 2024, Commandant – PSU, SCP Christine Nanding, confirmed to my lawyers, Okalang Law Chambers, that:

“Case file PSU/GEF/47/2024 of alleged professional misconduct, abuse of office and/or corruption by RPC Mwanga Kitiyo Moses, DPC Kakiryo Moses and other Police Officers was investigated and a report of our findings submitted to the Director Human Rights and Legal Services for action on behalf of IGP.”

SCP Nanding’s letter was in response to our letter to the Commandant – PSU, dated 21^st October 2024, from Okalang Law Chambers, on my behalf, inquiring about the findings of the PSU investigation into my complaint.

I lodged my complaint way back in February 2024. And, yes, Sir, IGP, as it is required, I already formally requested for the Police Investigation Report in a letter dated 15^th May 2024 and paid the requisite 60,000 shillings for it.

One year since I formally lodged my complaint and I have spent significant cash transporting myself to and from IGP’s office to follow-up, I haven’t been made whole.

You office, Sir, IGP, has refused to furnished me with a report. I feel under-served and ill-served by the Police. I am certainly not the only one in this unfortunate category.

The officers that I complained against continue to serve. The criminal brags about having them in his pocket. And with impunity and seeming protection of the Police, the criminal continues to disobey court orders.

Oh, by the way, village talk has it that the criminal has been known to name-drop. He apparently claims having direct access to your boss, Maj. Gen. (Rtd) Kahinda Otaffire.

I don’t believe so, but that he swaggers untouchable, lends credibility to his wild claims of having Police in his pocket and access to the Minister, to be believable.

After all, all cases that I reported to Pallisa Police about crimes he commits, have been investigated in a questionable manner, if at all. I speculate and believe this to be among the findings of the PSU investigation into my complaint.

And so, Sir, IGP, it is unlikely that you can succeed in putting in place a “professional and people-centred police force, for a safe and secure society,” when serving members of the Force are not disciplined and are not held accountable for crimes that they commit; and in a timely manner.

If I was the IGP, even for one day, I would issue an executive order requiring that all complaints made by non-members of the Force against serving members of the Force must me handled rapidly and concluded in no more that three months.

That corrective action is taken; the victims made whole; and the general public informed, accordingly. Cover ups of misconduct of officers of the force, may actually be the reason why the drop in reporting of crimes to Police.

As in, why bother reporting crimes to them whom you suspect have a propensity for unethical conduct.