THE LEVEL OF INSECURITY AND ROAD CARNAGE CALLS FOR RE – LOCATION OF BILLIONS MEANT FOR THE LC1 ELECTIONS TO BOOST POLICE CAPACITY

It really disturbs the level of insecurity in Uganda and the rate of road carnage. In order to improve on these two fronts, the Police force morale and welfare as well as logistics have to be given priority. I cannot imagine the billions meant or being thought to facilitate the LC1 elections. The law is so bad that many LC1 are not delivering anything comparable to the status quo the NRM found in place. All they can do well is go for security meetings to see that wrong elements who can cause trouble for the regime are not given chance, meanwhile, the security of the locals is no priority at all. People are hijacked but wherever they are taken, there must be people responsible for security who should be able to deal with such wrong elements. One gets the temptation that may be some of those who operate in these missions are state agents, more so, that we still have a problem of a Government that has a guerilla background. There is news about a special taxi operator who went missing early last week. However, according to the wife of the man, she got communication that the husband had been contacted by phone. Surely, if the Police are doing any work worth, would they even need 2 days to get to the scene of crime? Let us be serious in Uganda, and more so the Government agencies. We need to shape up or else the level to which Uganda has degenerated is unfortunate. I on a daily basis see the trucks along Entebbe Highway which load twice the weight they would carry, but surely, what common sense do the Policemen and women have who leave these vehicles as if there is no crime committed. This development came about when the construction industry became the most booming sector. The truck drivers wait for clients and after agreeing to the terms of the deal, they go and load the equivalent of two trucks on one trip. When such a vehicle develops any mechanical problem, what is expected? It is loss of life, but the poorly paid police men and women just wait for some token from a few of the drivers. The matter is worsened by the Police vehicles which drive at a terrific speed and surely they have caused their own share on the roads. In fact the other time when a police vehicle collided with a ‘magulu kumi’ truck, I thought that the drivers of the lead vehicles of the Police would get some sense in their heads, but they have not. The pathetic situation regarding the accommodation of police staff is a big shame to the NRM Government. Just call at Kajjansi Police Station and see how one officer has improvise to sleep in a cage where you may not even safely put chicken. A long the road to Kajjansi Fisheries is a shameful accommodation of the same officers. Real huts where you can keep badly managed chicken is where the police officers reside. The NRM Government has priorities upside down. These people are what Government expects to deliver on the security of the people of Uganda. When the NRM Government came to power, the LC1 elections were done by people lining behind the backs of the candidates they want. There is no reason why the same cannot be done now so that money is solved to get priorities right. I am disturbed that even where there are danger spots, the LC1 Chairmen cannot mobilize the people to sort these problems. Go to the garbage. In Kajjansi everything is clear, no proper garbage disposal at all. Get to the encroachment on the wetland, all this is done with no authority concerned. I am really sick with the way things are done by the NRM. Along Entebbe highway, though the boda boda’s cause accidents on a daily basis, the Police are not bothered with overload. Surely, it is as if these Police officers are just for decoration. My appeal to the Government of Uganda is that there is need to change the status quo, otherwise things are bad. As a responsible citizen, I wish to call upon the authority in NRM to do what is expected of them at this level of development world wide, otherwise, Uganda is a big shame. You can imagine the DMC’s on Uganda roads many of which are overloaded, but who inspects them on a regular basis? Why can’t Government have salaried people who make sure that all vehicles on the road are regularly inspected for road worthiness? Let people in Government stop scheming on how to accumulate and acquire properties, and seriously work on service delivery. Otherwise, some of us look on and just wish that things may change for the better. William Kituuka Kiwanuka