The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Abas Byakagaba, has asked President Museveni to authorize the recruitment of at least 15,000 police officers over the next five years.
He said the move will help address manpower shortages and expand police presence across the country.
“There is a need for more recruitment to counter attrition and enable us to sustain and fully position ourselves in all sub-counties. We seek authorization and support to recruit 3,000 personnel per year for the next five years,” Byakagaba said.
He made the remarks on Friday during the passing-out ceremony of 9,952 Probationer Police Constables (PPCs) at the Police Training School in Kabalye, Masindi District.
Byakagaba said although the newly passed-out officers will significantly boost the force’s manpower, the numbers remain insufficient compared to Uganda’s growing population.
“The 9,952 recruits represent a 20.5 percent increase in our manpower, from 48,417 officers to 58,369, against a national population of about 49 million people. This translates to a police-to-population ratio of one officer for every 839 people, which falls short of the international standard of one police officer for every 500 people,” he said.
He added that the challenge is compounded by an annual attrition rate of about 1,000 officers who leave the force due to retirement and other reasons.
To bridge the gap, Byakagaba said the Uganda Police Force needs to recruit at least 3,000 officers annually over the next five years.
Addressing the ceremony, President Museveni urged the police to embrace modern policing methods and technology to improve crime detection and prevention.
“Criminals are easy to deal with because they always leave evidence behind. They don’t come in helicopters; they walk or use motorcycles,” Museveni said.
The President encouraged greater use of police canine units in tracking suspects, particularly in cases involving theft of agricultural produce such as coffee.
“When criminals steal coffee and escape on foot, use police dogs. But also educate the public not to interfere with crime scenes so the dogs can do their work,” he said.
Museveni also emphasized the importance of fully utilizing Uganda’s expanding CCTV camera network to track criminals using motorcycles and motor vehicles.
