Kampala, (UG): The Inspector General of Police, IGP Martins Okoth-Ochola has unveiled a multibillion plan for the construction of offices housing 17 police directorates and one command centre at the new police headquarters in Naguru, Kampala.
The remarkable project, worth Sh77.5 billion is expected to be finalized by the year 2025.
While commissioning the construction project on Thursday, October 19, at Naguru headquarters in Kampala, Mr Ochola said the move to set up new office space is to bring all police units under one structure is intended to improve the manpower and efficiency of the police force.
“The UPF has been grappling with and continues to face the challenge of accommodation; both office and residential. Since its inception in 1906, the force has not had any permanent home called police headquarters,” IGP Ochola stated.
He added: “It is for this very reason that I am extremely joyous to see that we are constructing our permanent home.”
Mr Ochola said because of the housing challenges the police have been through, especially in 2011, the force management decided to vacate the rental premises and transferred our police headquarters to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) headquarters that we are occupying today.
“In 2011, the police surrendered 4.71 hectares of land for the Justice Law and Order Sector housing project, which among others, included the construction of police headquarters. The new building is expected to have a floor area of 14,934 square metres, which will be on 12 floors, a standalone conference centre capable of hosting up to 500 people and sufficient parking,” he said.
Adding that the new facility will be six times bigger than the current police headquarters and it will enable police to bring all directorates under one roof.
Mr Robert Kasande, the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs and the accounting officer of the project, said the development will enable them to save money they have been spending on rent.
“Institutions under this ministry have been spending over Shs30 billion on rent every year and in seven years, it amounts to about Shs210 billion, yet construction of the police headquarters will cost us Shs77 billion. This means we will be saving,” Mr Kasande said.
He added that after this phase, they will construct a court building and a parking lot that will be able to accommodate 1,000 vehicles.
Police have for years been grappling with housing challenges, some of which were constructed during colonial times. Last year, they required about Shs879b, which is the annual budget of the entire police, to meet their current housing needs.
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