NEWS- President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has insisted and express trust in the digital motor number plates project, saying it will be vital in fighting criminality in Uganda.
“I’m now insisting on the electronic number plates. Please, I want my number plates. Don’t delay my number plates. I don’t want these aimless number plates. I want intelligent number plates for the vehicles and the cars,” He said.
President Museveni made the remarks on Wednesday while presiding over the pass-out ceremony of over 2000 police constables newly trained Probation Police Constables, Special Police Constables and Immigration Officers at Kabalye Police Training School in Masindi District.
According to the Uganda Police, 1,272 are Probational Police Constables of the 23rd intake and 1,388 Special Police Constables are on the integration course of 1st intake and 57 Immigration Officers who have been undergoing rigorous training for 12 months.
“I’m pleased to see many young people joining the forces when they are well-educated. This makes training very easy as educated people learn faster” President Museveni remarked.
Gen Museveni who is also the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces noted that the electronic number plates will significantly close the criminality gap, especially terrorism, now that the force is using all the comprehensive means and assets at its disposal to defeat criminals.
“You will see these terrorists who have been killing people from Congo. We are going to finish them. I have told them; we’re going to kill all of them. We have everything needed,” President Museveni noted.
The Government officially launched the Digital Number Plates on November 2nd 2023 with the first phase targeting government-owned vehicles, where the Ministry of Works and Transport and the Ministry of Security are overseeing the project.
Through the Ministry of Works and Transport and the Ministry of Security, the government agreed to a 10-year deal with the Russian company to install digital tracking chips in all automobile number plates registered in the country, under the Intelligent Transport Management Systems program- ITMS.
During the function, President Museveni welcomed the new Officers into the Force and thanked the Police leadership for rebuilding the Uganda Police Force to the current 53,000 personnel up from 3,000 personnel in 1986 after its reorganization, but however said this should be bigger to about 92,000 to match the international policing ratio of one policeman for every 500 people.
“When I come to these pass-outs, I feel very happy when I see very many young people joining these forces moreover when they’re well educated. This makes training very easy as educated people can learn faster,” Gen Museveni said
Gen Museveni told the recruits to count themselves lucky that they were joining such a prestigious force and urged them to ensure discipline, and ideology and to love themselves by not dying from AIDS and alcohol and called upon them to seek constant training to advance their knowledge within the Force.
“Otherwise, the future is very bright for you. I congratulate you and I wish you good luck. It is now my pleasure to use the powers given to me under the Constitution to pass you out,” Museveni who has been in power since 1986 said.
The Minister for Internal Affairs Maj Gen Kahinda Otafiire described the event as accountability to the voters in enhancing their security and urged the new police officers to serve with dignity.
“Serve the country, don’t serve anybody else. Serve Uganda and make sure you make Uganda a better place to live. And I want you to pursue your careers with focus. All of you police officers should aim at getting the Inspector General’s button. It’s a result of hard work, discipline and commitment to the population,” Gen Otafiire said.
He urged the Immigration Officers who have been undergoing induction to defend the country and promised to address their needs saying that they are the first line of defence who choose who comes into Uganda and decides who leaves Uganda.
He decried what he termed as a pathetic housing situation for the three security agencies, attributing it to the bureaucratic methods of allocating resources by the Ministry of Finance and called upon President Museveni to reign over the matter.
The Inspector General of Police who personally attended the event, Martins Okoth Ochola thanked the President for the financial support and guidance that enabled them to transform, instruct and nurture the new officers despite the current economic challenges.
“This is in addition to the several strings of emergency training of personnel to beef up the quality and strength of the force to enhance its capacity to confront the contemporary security challenges facing the nation,” Ochola said.
The Insoector General of Police Ochola informed President Museveni that the Uganda Police is in the advanced stages of improving the welfare of the officers in line with his directive, saying that the construction of Police Headquarters in Naguru is ongoing and they will soon commission the construction of a modern 300-bed Police Hospital in Nsambya and the Police also hope to put up 53,000 accommodation units in the near future.
The Commandant of Kabalye Police Training School Abdallah Sowedi told the gathering that the recruits have undergone rigorous training and have demonstrated their commitment to uphold the law and ensure the safety and security of the country and beyond.
“They have been equipped with vast knowledge and skills that will enable them to carry out their duties in line with the mandate of their respective departments with emphasis on professional conduct and strict adherence to the code of public officers as they serve the community. They now know their core mandate of serving and always prioritizing the needs of the community”, Sowedi said.
Earlier before the pass out ceremony, President Museveni commissioned the Central Lecture Hall at Kabalye Police Training School.
The ceremony was also attended by the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Internal Affairs Lt Gen Joseph Musanyufu, the UPDF Joint Chief of Staff Maj Gen Leopold Kyanda who represented the Chief of Defense Forces and the Director of Citizenship and Immigration Control Maj Gen Apollo Kasiita.
Other officials included Commanders from the Uganda Peoples Défense Forces, Directors from the Uganda Police Force, Uganda Prisons and the Directorate of Citizenship Immigration Control, Ministers, Members of Parliament, representatives from Bunyoro-Kitara Kingdom led by Prime Minister Andrew Byakutaaga, Masindi District Leaders and Religious Leaders led by Bishop George William Kasangaki and the District Khadhi Sheikh Yahaya Mugisha.
