By Weswa Ronnie
NATIONAL
The Uganda Police Force has announced plans to recruit 100,000 temporary officers to help provide security during the 2026 general elections
Inspector General of Police Abas Byakagaba on Friday, 27th September, 2025 said 10,000 constables have so far been taken on and are undergoing training, and that the recruitment of more is part of the wider plan to strengthen the force. If the exercise is completed, the police will have a total of about 165,000 officers. The new officers will serve as Special Police Constables (SPCs).
In previous elections, applicants were required to have at least a Primary Leaving Examination certificate and no criminal record. Training usually lasted one to two months before the recruits were deployed to polling stations.
While most SPCs were equipped only with uniforms and batons, some were later retained, given more training, and assigned firearms to support regular officers
The government has raised the monthly allowance for SPCs from Shs440,000 to Shs469,000. Police have also requested nearly Shs20 billion to cover salaries, following problems in 2021 when 50,000 SPCs protested after receiving less money than promised and refused to return equipment until payments were settled.
