Police initiate project to develop doctrine for better policing services

IGANGA, UGANDA: The Uganda Police Force (UPF) has initiated consultations to develop a police doctrine which will include various principles on how police does its work for the betterment of their services.

This comes after the Inspector General of Police – IGP John Martins Okoth Ochola established two teams; a steering committee and a technical committee to develop the doctrine and put it into action.

The project which will be extended to every policing region, according to police will see a number of engagement meetings and consultations to collect views, opinions and information from different stakeholders internally from police officers and outside from local leaders, opinion leaders and cultural leaders. 

While meeting over 40 police officers from Busoga East policing region on Tuesday at Fort Lugard Hotel in Iganga Municipality, the acting Political Commissar in Uganda Police Force, SCP Hadija Namutebi says they have kicked off with a two-day stakeholders consultation meeting which will enable police to come up with a document which embeds all principles that will guide the best practices in the police. 

“Police in Uganda is undertaking a project of developing a police doctrine which will involve principles that are going to guide the way police does its work. Police have been around and we have been having standard operating procedures or guiding principles on how to work but this time round the doctrine is going to be our guiding document which will have all principles for better practices in police,” SCP Namutebi said.  

This doctrine is also aimed at setting the basis for the planning and execution of recruitment, training, sustenance and deployment of police personnel and will also look at the employment of various police capabilities and the relationship between UPF, community and other elements of government at national, regional and international levels.

Busoga East policing region comprises districts like Iganga, Bugweri, Bugiri, Mayuge, Namutumba and Namayingo and at least 6 police officers from each district were engaged on Tuesday with more meetings expected with various local, cultural, religious and opinion leaders expected along the way.

SCP Namutebi says that police intend to build on the already available information to close the gaps which are within their drafts and also to get new information which will strengthen the document to last for a long time and it will be a living document which describes the best way police can perform its work. 

She, however, commended President Museveni through the Ministry of internal affairs plus the inspector general of police for promoting a number of police officers and urged them to take on the responsibilities ahead of them without entertaining any act which contravene the police code of conduct. 

“Recently, a number of police officers including some from this region were promoted. I therefore congratulate and implore all promoted officers to continue without relaxation. Police elevated their personnel recently from Junior officers like constable to corporal and from senior ranks to the next ranks,” SCP Namutebi said adding that recognition is a very important thing in security because it gives morale and motivates security personnel to do better. 

The Busoga East Regional Police Commander, East SSP Samuel Asiimwe says that this project of developing a police doctrine will enable good policing since all guidelines on how best police should operate will be embedded in the document(doctrine). 

The stakeholders’ consultation meeting was attended by among others, a delegation on the doctrine development technical committee which was led by SSP Hadijja Namutebi, and included the deputy director of research and planning SCP Kalango Timothy, and SCP Mugisha the Deputy Director of Welfare.