Police directors skip their own retirement ceremony

At least five directors at the rank of Assistant Inspector General of Police on Friday skipped their own official retirement ceremony organized by the Police force.

AIGPs Grace Turyagumanawe, Godfrey Bangirana, Asuman Mugyenyi and Lemmy Twinomugisha were among the 49 police officers to be retired at a function at the Police headquarters at Naguru but were a no-show over reasons unknown to the organisers.

When the police human resource director, Brig Jesse Kamunanwire read their names to receive certificates and plaques from the Inspector General of Police, John Martins Okoth Ochola, they were nowhere to be seen and no explanation was given for their absence.

Only Moses Balimwoyo, the former Interpol director, the most senior officer at the rank of Assistant Inspector General of Police who showed up for the function.

While speaking as the chief guest, IGP Ochola made no never mention of the missing directors who were not present for their official retirement ceremony.

Background

All the five directors at the rank of Assistant Inspector General of Police who skipped the retirement ceremony are those whose contracts were not renewed by President Museveni last year.

The president last year refused to renew the contracts of the said police directors prompting them into retirement.

In one incident, AIGP Godfrey Bangirana who was the director in charge of logistics in the Police Force  had refused to hand over office  but was ordered by the High Court to do so.

Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIGP) is the third-highest rank in the structure of the police force and officers at the rank who clock 45 years of age and above work on three- year contracts but are renewable.