Police salute Ochola for improving efficiency in force

Police have hailed outgoing Inspector General, John Martins Okoth Ochola as one who helped improve the force’s efficiency.

“Mr.John Martins Okoth Ochola has  led police to great success . In the past six years he has led police to higher levels of achievements with his talent and managerial skills. His tenure was marked by improved efficiency in police services and modernization of the force,” Police spokesperson, Fred Enanga said.

Enanga was on Monday speaking about the handover ceremony by Ochola to his deputy, Maj Gen Geoffrey Katsigazi.

Ochola, who was appointed as Inspector General of Police in 2018 replaced his then boss, Gen Kale Kayihura and has since served for two three-year terms.

The latest term expired today, March, 4, 2024.

According to the police spokesperson, the Monday handover ceremony at the Police headquarters in Naguru was also attended by the Police Advisory Committee.

The force will now wait for President Museveni, who is also the commander in chief of the armed forces to appoint the next Inspector General of Police .

Biography

A career police officer with 30 years' experience, Ochola has risen through the police ranks to the highest office in the force.

Born 1958, in Agumiti village, Mulanda sub-county, West Budama County, in Tororo District, Ochola attended Abweli Primary School, then Rock View Primary School and Kisoko Boys Primary School, where he sat his primary leaving examinations. He attended Namilyango College, where he obtained his high school diploma.

He studied at Makerere University, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Laws degree in 1983.

The following year, he obtained a postgraduate diploma in legal practice, from the Law Development Centre.

Ochola applied and was admitted into police as a cadet Assistant Superintendent of Police  in 1988 to begin a journey in the force.

He would later in February 1989 be posted at Entebbe International Airport as the officer-in-charge of Airport Security  and 10 months later, he was taken to Entebbe Police Station as he new officer in charge of prosecutions.

He didn’t last long in this position and a month later he was appointed as the officer in charge of prosecutions at Buganda Road Chief Magistrates Court.

In 1993, Ochola was transferred to Kampala Extra region as  the staff officer for the Criminal Investigations Department(CID) but was later transferred to the police headquarters as the acting assistant commissioner of police in the legal department.

In 1996, Ochola was promoted to the rank of superintendent of police and in 1998 he was promoted to senior superintendent of police .

Ochola was in 2001, appointed as the deputy director of criminal investigations until 2008 when he was promoted to commissioner of police.

The then Inspector General of Police, Gen Kale Kayihura then elevated him to the position of the director of CID but remained in acting capacity August 2008 when he was confirmed as director.

He was promoted to the rank of Assistant Inspector General of Police in 2009.

In August 2011, President Museveni appointed him the Deputy Inspector General of Police, a position he served in until 2018 when he was appointed as Inspector General of Police.