Kampala, Uganda: Members of Parliament have grilled Uganda Police leadership over allegations that citizens are being charged up to Shs200,000 to access police canine services during criminal investigations.
The issue emerged on Tuesday, March 10, 2026, when Deputy Inspector General of Police James Ochaya appeared before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), chaired by Hon. Gorreth Namugga.
Legislators questioned why communities are reportedly paying for police sniffer dogs despite police leadership previously indicating that the service should be free. “We are receiving information that the dogs are paid for very expensively, yet we are surprised the IGP does not know that the dogs are paid for,” Namugga told the committee.
In response, Ochaya acknowledged the complaints and promised to investigate the matter. “We shall investigate and find out where the problem is and rectify it,” he said.
Several legislators told the committee that the practice appears widespread across different parts of the country. Silas Aogon (Independent, Kumi Municipality) said communities frequently complain about the cost of accessing canine units.
Meanwhile, Susan Amero (Independent, Amuria Woman MP) revealed that she personally paid for canine services while investigating a theft case on her farm.
“I had a farm in Kakiri, and I went for a dog at Kakiri Police Station. I paid money for the dog to reach my farm to investigate theft, and nothing was even detected,” Amero told the committee.
She argued that if such payments are legitimate, they should be formalised and receipted so that the money can be accounted for as government revenue. “If the charges are official, then they should be receipted and accounted for,” she said.
Joseph Ssewungu (NUP, Kalungu West) also questioned whether police have adequate resources to deploy canine units to crime scenes. He cited a case in Kalungu District, where a dog unit was only deployed after local leaders constructed a facility to house it.
Police officials admitted that transportation and logistics remain a challenge but said efforts are underway to acquire specialised equipment to improve canine deployment, particularly in rural areas.
Crime Decline Reported
During the same session, Ochaya told the committee that crime in Uganda declined by 10.3 percent in 2025, according to preliminary police statistics. He said reported crime cases dropped from 218,725 in 2024 to 196,155 in 2025, representing a reduction of 22,560 cases.
“The criminal case rate stood at 427 persons per 100,000 people in 2025, down from 476 in 2024,” Ochaya said. He attributed the decline to improved policing structures, enhanced collaboration with other security agencies and increased community engagement.
Police operations conducted in January and February 2026 also led to the arrest of 7,159 suspects, of whom 3,724 were arraigned before court, according to Ochaya.
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