By Solomon Hamala
IGANGA
The Chief Political Commissar AIGP, Asan Kasingye has cautioned police officers against extorting money from people seeking services saying the vice is portraying a negative image of the profession.
“People are looking at us as if we are thieves who have come to rob them of their hard earned money,” he said.
Kasingye made the remarks yesterday, 9th June 2021 while briefing the media upon concluding a three day tour of East Busoga region.
He said many police officers are demanding bribes from complainants in order to provide services to them yet it’s illegal.
“There is a police officer I would not like to name in this region who has been nicknamed Kakaire because he always demands a million in order to “kill” a case,” he said.
Kasingye said during his three day tour of the East Busoga region, he has realized that police officers are sleeping in dilapidated structures, besides their welfare is not good due to low pay, while others are complaining of serving for long without being promoted.
“I have assured them that they will be promoted on condition they meet the required standards set aside by the top management,” he said.
He said starting next month all police officers will be earning their salaries as required unlike in the past where some junior cadres earned more than their bosses.
Kasingye said police is soon constructing a primary school in the region to accommodate the huge number of police children to reduce on costs.
He urged Local Council One officials to cooperate with police by providing information about suspected wrongdoers in their areas in a bid to curb the rampant cases of crime.
Kasingye said East Busoga region just like any other place in the country is faced with a challenge of manpower that requires direct coordination with local council officials to reduce on crime.
The regional police commander East Busoga, Anatoli Katungwesi hailed the cordial relations between the media and police during the past few years.
Katungwesi assured journalists operating in the area of maximum protection while executing their duties.
Teven Kibumba, a reporter with NBS television urged the police top management to transfer the police spokesman East Busoga with immediate effect for failing to cooperate with the media in the area.
“Whenever you ring him seeking a comment he simply ignores you or feigns ignorance of an issue a move that complicates our work as journalists,” he said.
