Police leadership to meet Museveni over Lokech’s replacement as deputy IGP

The leadership of the Police force is set to meet President Yoweri Museveni over the vacuum that was created by the untimely death of former Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIGP), Maj Gen Paul Lokech.

This was revealed by the IGP Martins Okoth Ochola, following concerns from  members of the Defence Committee of Parliament, and several workloads that have since stalled.

Police, have for over a month now been operating without a DIGP since Lockech died of a blood clot on August 21, 2021.

Theodore Ssekikubo, a member of Parliament of Lwemiyaga County raised a matter of concern on Wednesday while meeting police officials, and said the replacement of Lockech (RIP) is taking long.

“Nature does not allow a vacuum, the replacement is taking long,” Ssekikubo said.

IGP Okoth Ochola however replied that the police leadership has the mandate to advise the president on the appointment of a DIGP and that they were going to meet soon.

“It is the police authority to advise the president and we are going to meet on Friday,” Ochola assured MPs.

Naboth Nabimanya, the FDC MP representing Rubabo County said that it is hard to carry on like this when a number of items cannot be approved because of a vacuum in police leadership.

“We are wondering how this can continue, we are in a situation where we do not have a DIGP in office and the IGP also spent a few weeks off recently, a lot of work has stalled,” Nabimanya said.

IGP Ochola however urged the MPs to keep calm and let the police handle it, saying that the vacuum will be filled soon.

The MPs also quizzed the police leadership on a number of concerns, including the manner in which MPs Mohammad Ssegirinya and Allan Ssewanyana were rearrested after release from prison.

NUP’s Kampala Woman MP Shamim Malende urged police to take action and punish their officers who continue to undermine human rights.