The Inspector General of Police in Uganda has replaced the top leadership of the Kampala Metropolitan Police (KMP) following a spike in urban crime that has left residents and motorists in the capital living in fear.
IGP Abas Byakagaba appointed Ezekiel Emitu as the new commander of the metropolitan force, replacing Richard Ecega. The shake-up also saw the removal of the deputy commander and the head of crime intelligence.
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The reshuffle comes at a time of heightened public anxiety over “panga-wielding” gangs who have been carrying out violent robberies across the city and its surrounding suburbs.
An experienced hand
Mr Emitu is no stranger to the capital’s security landscape. He previously served as the deputy commander of the KMP between 2016 and 2018.
Senior police sources told the Daily Monitor that Mr Emitu’s history as an instructor at the Police Training School in Kabalye would be an asset. Many of the officers now serving under him were once his trainees, potentially giving him the personal authority needed to manage the force effectively.
However, despite his experience, the new commander inherits a series of deep-seated structural problems.
Overstretched and under-resourced
The challenges facing the KMP were laid bare in a 2024 report by the former Inspector General, Martins Okoth-Ochola. The document described a force crippled by:
- A shortage of vehicles: Many patrol cars are old and prone to breaking down.
- Fuel scarcity: Limited allocations mean officers often only respond to distress calls rather than conducting proactive patrols.
- A manpower crisis: While the KMP has between 7,000 and 10,000 officers, more than 3,000 are assigned to protect VIPs.
This leaves the remaining officers to police a population of approximately six million people in Kampala, Wakiso and Mukono. The resulting ratio of one officer to every 1,000 citizens is double the international recommendation of 1 to 500.
Living in tents
Mr Emitu also faces a crisis in officer welfare. Internal Affairs Minister Maj Gen Kahinda Otafiire recently warned that poor living conditions were fueling indiscipline.
In some barracks, four officers are forced to share a room intended for one person, while others have been living in temporary tents for months.
While the new leadership marks a fresh start for the city’s security, the persistent lack of funding and equipment suggests that simply changing the commanders may not be enough to curb the rising tide of crime.
