The Uganda Police Force has announced plans to remove all the patrol vehicles allocated to all the Ministries and agencies in the country.
This directive comes at a time when the Uganda Police Force is struggling with the increasing mobility crisis that has significantly impacted their ability to serve society, particularly at the community level.
According to the Deputy Inspector General of Police, James Ochay, who made this call during an appearance before Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC).
He explained that these vehicles are part of a broader reform plan targeting the use of police guards and portal units in the country.
“We are preparing a cabinet memo that will define the categories of individuals entitled to police guards and patrols,” Ochaya told the committee.
His comments followed concerns from MPs over the continued misuse of government security resources and the resulting strain on the force’s core functions.
The PAC session also featured Undersecretary Aggrey Wunyi, who joined police leadership in addressing audit findings raised in the Auditor General’s report for the 2023/2024 financial year.
A central point of contention was the dire shortage of mobility tools under the sub-county policing model, a model considered essential to community safety and law enforcement outreach.
According to the report, the police force needs 4,368 motorcycles to operate effectively at the sub-county level.
However, only 952 were functional at the time of the audit, leaving a gaping deficit of 3,416. Wunyi updated the committee, saying the situation has improved slightly, with the current shortfall standing at 970 motorcycles.
