The 2022 Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC) report on the state of human rights and freedoms in Uganda has revealed that at least 150 police stations and posts are housed in dilapidated buildings and facilities with majority of the buildings requiring an overhaul reconstruction for the safety of the resident police officers.
According to the report, a total of 153 police stations and posts inspected by the commission last year were found with dilapidated infrastructure not safe for human accommodation while some stations did not have toilet facilities.
“The Uganda Police Force faced the biggest challenge in terms of office space and dilapidated structures, with many police stations and posts being housed in old and run-down structures. The police staff also had accommodation challenges, some families sharing rooms while others renting from communities,” the 2022 UHRC report, that was released on Friday read in part.
It added: “The UHRC noted with concern that most police accommodation is old, dilapidated and in a sorry state, requiring demolition, renovation and new construction. This was a general concern in all districts but notably worse in Kitgum district.”
At Dzaipi police station, in Adjumani District, officers were found with no toilet facilities while one of the officers at Lotome police post in Napak district stays in the kitchen of the Officer in Charge (OC). A number of police stations and posts did not have staff accommodation facilities at all.
A total of 437 police stations and posts are housed in rented premises, 728 are in local government structures while 551 are in community housed facilities. At least 245 are in NGO structures and those in Uganda Police Force owned structures are 455.
The Office in Charge at Kabulabula police station in Serere District was the one paying monthly rent of Shs60, 000 for the office space and detention cell.
Among others, the police stations with dilapidated facilities listed in the UHRC reports are; Bombo police station, Bbale police station, Buikwe police station, Buvuma police station, Kabalagala police station, Katwe police station, Kawempe police station, Kiboga police station, Kitintale police station, Lugazi police station, Luwero police station, Natete police station, Kasana police station, Nebbi police station, Kayunga police station, Busunju police station and Bwaise police station.
The human rights commission recommended that Uganda police force should stop using unipots as houses because they are not fit for human habitation. It further noted that the Force should consider demolition and renovation of the dilapidated facilities to ensure decent accommodation for the personnel.
Amidst challenges, the same report indicates that Uganda Police Force was the major perpetrator in violating human rights and freedoms where 441 complaints against Force were registered by the commission.
The UHRC recommendations on the state of police facilities comes at a time when a section of social media users are set to expose the welfare and mode of operations by Uganda police via microblogging platforms like Twitter and Facebook under the hashtag #UgandaPoliceExhibition that will run for one week starting from tomorrow.
