MP Omara Calls on Parliament to allocate funds for Sub-County Police Recruitment
By Patrick Okino
Otuke County MP, Paul Omara, has called on Parliament of Uganda to allocate funds in the 2026/2027 national budget for the recruitment of 18 police officers per sub-county across the country.
Omara said the initiative would help address rising crime levels in communities, particularly in rural areas.
Two years ago, President Yoweri Museveni directed that each sub-county should have between 18 and 20 police officers to curb crime. He also called for the expansion of the sub-county policing model, including the introduction of canine units.
Omara cited increasing cases of livestock theft in the Lango sub-region, where residents have raised concerns over the loss of cows, sheep, goats, pigs, and chickens. He attributed these incidents to the insufficient number of police officers currently deployed in many sub-counties.
Uganda has approximately 2,191 sub-counties, town councils, and municipal divisions, meaning that about 39,438 police personnel would be required to meet the proposed standard.
The MP raised the matter in Parliament on April 24, also calling for a review of salary enhancements for regular police officers.
He proposed that their monthly pay be increased to a minimum of UGX 1 million, arguing that improving welfare would be more effective than prioritizing hardware procurement.
Omara further noted that crime rates in rural areas continue to rise due to limited police presence, with some sub-counties having as few as 10 officers.
Following the presidential directive, the Inspector General of Police, Abas Byakagaba, began implementing the policy by deploying officers to sub-counties, municipalities, and town councils.
He has also outlined plans to establish a police station in each sub-county staffed with 18 officers to enhance security at the grassroots level but resources are still limited.
Under the proposed structure, each sub-county police station would include an Officer in Charge (OC), 12 general duty officers, one Criminal Investigations Department (CID) officer, one crime intelligence officer, one child and family protection officer, and one community liaison officer.
The total funding required to fully implement the directive is estimated at UGX 2.5 trillion, which the police leadership has requested.
