Police to recruit 50,000 special constables for 2021 polls

The Uganda Police Force is set to recruit a total of 50,000 Special Police Constables to help increase the number of police officers who will be used to secure forthcoming 201 general elections.

According to police spokesperson, Fred Enanga, the constables will be deployed before, during and after the 2021 elections in various parts of the country.

“We have a plan of recruiting 50,000 election Special Police Constables. These will be recruited to strengthen the Uganda Police Force for effective policing of the pre-election, election and post-election periods. They will be recruited from their respective districts after vetting by the District Police Commanders,”Enanga said.

“These shall be appointed for three months and are to be deployed one month to the polling date. They shall be paid an allowance of shs 375,000 per month.”

Enanga said the recruitment of the 50,000 Special Police Constables will be done in accordance with sections 64 and 65 of the Police Act and that they would be recruited, trained and deployed in their respective home districts.

According to the police spokesperson, the recruits must be citizens of Uganda, with good conduct, with national ID, proven record of volunteerism with police and should be between 18 and 40 years of age.

“They should have at least O-level certificate, must be physically fit and duly recommended by Local Councils one, two and three. We want to caution those who may want to present forged testimonials that they risk jail,”Enanga said.

Police recently embarked on a process to recruit 10,000 police constables that the force needs to fill the manpower gaps that they have.

In his handover report, the former Inspector General of Police, Gen.Kale Kayihura in 2018 said the Police Force had 44600 officers but an audit done by his successor, John Martins Okoth Ochola indicated that the number was less.

It was also found out that many of the officers had either deserted, retired, died or natural caused or killed during operations prompting the force to seek to recruit at least 10,000 constables to fill the vacuum left behind.

Whereas in the past the force wanted those who join as constables to have at least attained a UACE certificate, the qualifications were lowered to UCE (senior four ) certificate after reports indicated that those with senior six certificates were using the force as a springboard to other careers.

With the current 38000 officers that the force has currently, the ratio is 1:850.

The force has consistently argued that the current numbers are not enough to conform to the UN policing standard of 1:500 ratio where a single police officer is supposed to man 500 people.