I bleed when I see Police officers’ welfare – Otafiire

Minister of internal Affairs, Kahinda Otafiire has decried the welfare of Police officers, citing refusal by the Ministry of Finance to increase Police’s budget to cater for their housing.

Otafiire made the call during the first-ever annual coordination meeting between Office of the Directorate of Public Prosecution (ODPP) and Criminal Investigation Directorate (CID) under the theme ‘The Contribution of ODPP/CID in the Socio-Economic Transformation of Uganda’ held at CID Headquarters in Kibuli.

“We have a problem with welfare. I bleed when I see Police officers who are working at Jinja road sleeping in Mukono and must come to work on time and then go back on their meager salaries,” Otafiire decried.

He added, “There is a need for housing for police, Prisons and the Directorate of Immigration. That would have been solved if we did not have people who stink within the box in the Ministry of Finance. They don’t want to think outside the box or if the box becomes difficult, remove the box.”

However, he said this issue is not the role of President Museveni and will handle it with the Finance Minister, Matia kasaija.

“Fortunately, Kasaija is one of my predecessors and he should know that there is a need for adequate housing for these agencies,” Otafiire urged.

Otafire went ahead and requested the president to increase the manpower at CID, noting that the directorate is understaffed and further called for the reconstitution of the CID and make it equal to its job because although the criminals may have reduced but they have become more sophisticated and need to be handled in a different and upgraded style.

He also called upon the CID officers to be taught the disciplines of cybercrime, maritime law, oil and gas in order for them to be conversant and competent, urging, “There is need for adequate training and reshaping of CID officers.”

Otafiire also wondered why his fellows in leadership are too silent if fighting corruption and left the only Museveni to blow the clarion call.

“We also have a problem of re-existential threat to national integrity and development called corruption. I find it a bit difficult that it is only you (Museveni) blowing the clarion call to fight corruption when the rest of us in leadership are silent. I call on my colleagues and leaders to stand up and support the president in fighting against corruption,” Otafiire alarmed.