Two main police barracks where officers who protect high-profile people and institutions have gone months on end without power or water.
Last week, sources said Nsambya Police Barracks, the biggest in the country, where VIP protection officers reside, has not had electricity for more than two months while Naguru Police Barracks, which accommodates officers of anti-riot, ICT, and general duties, was cut off from the water supply three months ago.
The two barracks house about 10,000 of the 54,000 officers in the Force.
An officer, who resides in Nsambya Police Barracks, said :“Most of our colleagues stay in dormitories and they are made of timber yet people are using candles and charcoal stoves. The risk of a fire is too high because we have children.”
Police officers’ pleas come at the time debate on the welfare of the security personnel is raging around the country.
Many officers at Nsambya Police Barracks have been forced to erect shackles near the wastewater channel after their employer failed to establish houses for them.
Umeme, the power distributor, established a prepayment metre at Nsambya Police Barracks and whenever the police officers shoot beyond the bought units, the system automatically cuts them off from the power grid.
At Naguru Police Barracks, the officers have power, but they don’t have water due to non-payment of utility bills by their employer.
Last month, the National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC) issued a statement threatening to cut the water supply to more police barracks due to arrears.
The spokesman of NWSC, Mr Samuel Apedel, said the police management contacted them over the arrears and negotiations are ongoing.
“The finance ministry on behalf of the police promised to pay the outstanding bill,” Mr Apedel said, adding that they badly need the money for operations such as procuring chemicals used in the treatment of the water.
Police officers at Naguru Police Barracks told this publication that the water cut is the longest they have suffered for years.
The officers have to walk more than a mile to a spring well in a valley at Stretcher on Nakawa-Ntinda Road to fetch water.
An officer at Naguru Police Barracks said the frequent shortage of power and water in the barracks forces them to use their meager salaries to get the services, which the government promised to provide.
The officer said most of his salary is spent on food and transport from his barracks to workplace since the police no longer provide him with both.
President Museveni said last week that security personnel shouldn’t be forced to spend their salaries on services the government is required to provide. According to the police’s Shs916b budget for the Financial Year 2021/2022, the government provided only Shs16.24b for power and Shs11.09b for water bills.
It would require an additional Shs86b to deal with utility bills annually. Therefore, with the available funds, the police can only have a supply of utilities for only four months a year.
