MOROTO – The Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) has commissioned a community police post and staff quarters valued at Shs600 million in Morulem Sub-country in Abim aimed at improving safety and security in the district.
Morulem Community Police Post is one of the seven community police posts being constructed to boost security in seven districts in Karamoja under the Development Initiative for Northern Uganda (DINU), a government of Uganda programme supported by the European Union and supervised by OPM.
Last year, OPM awarded contracts worth Shs4.8b to seven firms to construct the community police posts and accommodation facilities in Morulem in Abim District, Alakas (Amudat), Lokori (Karenga), Nakapelimoru (Kotido), Nakiloro (Moroto), Apeitolim (Napak) and Namalu (Nakapiripirit).
Each of the seven police posts shall be equipped with solar power, furniture, two motorcycles to support officers’ transport, water harvesting system and a borehole. The total support to Uganda Police Force (UPF) is estimated at Shs5.4b.
At the occasion of commissioning Morulem Community Police Post on Tuesday, November 29, 2022, the Minister for Karamoja Affairs, Dr. Mary Goretti Kitutu, said: “OPM is partnering with the Uganda Police Force (UPF) under the DINU programme to build capacities of officers and increase police presence in Karamoja.”
She noted that DINU is an affirmative action programme of the Government of Uganda and as such, OPM is responsible for the supervision, coordination, and accountability of the various actions under the DINU programme.
“Today, OPM hands over this investment and facility to UPF and the targeted communities for their benefit and use. As a government programme, we believe that this police post will contribute to increased presence and functionality of community policing, community awareness of the role of UPF in safety and security, and promotion of human rights activities in Karamoja,” Dr. Kitutu said.
The Minister hailed the European Union for supporting the Government of Uganda in building UPF capacities in Karamoja, a sub-region that has been hitherto facing insecurity challenges, including cattle rustling activities.
“Through the various financing agreements with the Government of Uganda, the European Union has continuously supported UPF in building the force’s capacities in community policing and promotion of human rights in Karamoja Sub-region. I wish to thank the European Union for this support,” she said.
Mr Gonzaga Mayanja, the Commissioner Monitoring, and Evaluation, Local Governments at OPM, who represented the Permanent Secretary, said more than 500 police officers have been trained in community policing methodologies, communication skills, anti-torture, and human rights among other areas aimed at ensuring that the facilities are functional.
The UPF Director of Research, Planning and Development, Snr Commissioner of Police James Ocaya said Karamoja Sub-region has had a long history of insecurity which has led to low levels of development in the area. He said the police posts have been established to foster security and stability in locations that were previously regarded as blackspots for warriors and raiding activities.
“This intervention is very timely since it will contribute tremendously to reducing the incidents of insecurity in the sub-region,” he said.
He said: “UPF would like to thank the European Union and Office of the Prime Minister for continuously supporting police over the years, especially in Karamoja Sub-region. The intervention has had greatly enabled UPF to have tremendous achievements as far as enforcement of law and order is concerned.”
DINU background
The Development Initiative for Northern Uganda (DINU), a Government of Uganda programme supported by the European Union and supervised by Office of the Prime Minister, was initiated in 2017.
OPM is responsible for the overall supervision of the EURO 150.6 million programme in partnership with local governments and a wide range of stakeholders, including implementing partners – Department for International Development (DFID)/Trademark East Africa, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF), and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA).
Other key implementing partners are CARITAS Switzerland, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (ITTA), National Agricultural Research Organisation (NARO), Lutheran World Federation (LWF), CARE-Denmark, Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS), Center for Health, Human Rights and Development (CEHURD), ADOL Health Care Initiative and DIAKONIA-Sweden.
