Uganda Police Force requires 1.2 trillion shillings for the next financial year 2018/19 to curb crimes, increase capacity of police officers and improve public image of the force.
The Undersecretary of the police force Rogers Muhirwa said that the force has instead been allocated 514 billion shillings, a shortfall of 721 billion shillings which will impede the police services programme which are mainly operational activities.
These include utility arrears worth 34 billion shillings for 9,000 personnel with a shortfall of over 7 billion shillings and the Criminal Investigation and Intelligence that has been allocated 9 billion shillings yet it requires 114 billion shillings therefore CIID can only investigate and conclude 3% of the 50,000 estimated capital cases annually.
The director for finance Edward Ochom said that the police force has so far realized reduction in crime rates in the past three years from 298 crimes committed in 1,000 people in 2014/15 to 292 crimes in 2016/17 and hope to achieve a target of 200 crimes in 2020/21.
He however says the force has challenges in responding to calls for help in cases of fire outbreaks among others.
