The Inspector General of Police

The Deputy Inspector General of Police

The Inspector General of Government

Representatives from the Justice, Law and Order Sector

Representatives from the Uganda Police Force

Ladies and gentlemen.

It’s an honour for me to join you this afternoon to participate in the launch of the Uganda Police Force Anti-Corruption Strategy 2017/18-2021/22. This strategy is a valuable framework as one of the approaches that guides the Uganda Police Force to tackle issues of corruption, strengthen mechanisms for self-assessment, responsiveness and accountability within the Uganda Police Force.

As the United Nations Development Programme, our work is to support Uganda in its transformation through partnership with all levels of society. Our five-year Country Programme in Uganda commenced in 2016 and is anchored in the Second National Development Plan (NDPII) through our two portfolios of Inclusive and Effective Governance and Sustainable Inclusive Economic Development. Within our Inclusive and Effective Governance portfolio in Uganda, tackling corruption is a priority. It is also part of UNDP’s broader mandate at a global level to foster inclusive and accountable Governance.

Therefore, I would like to take this opportunity to thank the team from the Uganda Police Force, the Justice, Law and Order Sector (JLOS) Secretariat, and the Inspectorate of Government. I congratulate you and all stakeholders who were involved in the process of drafting this Strategy. This shows your commitment to fight the vice which the IGG Integrity Survey reports and other local and global reports claim to have infiltrated the Force affecting service delivery.

This is evident in the foreword of the Inspector General of Police to the strategy we are launching today. He says, “These allegations affect our effectiveness, efficiency and legitimacy in service delivery. This state of affairs cannot continue and Uganda Police Force is determined to fight corruption among its rank and file and one of the measures we have undertaken is to come up with this strategy.”

 Ladies and Gentlemen,

Effective implementation of the strategy will be facilitated by stakeholder understanding of its provisions. This makes the dissemination and popularisation of the provisions in this strategy essential. Within UNDP, we are also reinforcing synergies with other interventions that we are supporting such as the criminal records management system for Kampala and the capacity development for investigations.

I commend efforts that have been made in combating graft in Uganda Police Force. These include the formation of the Professional Standards Unit and the Anti-corruption Unit under the Directorate of Criminal Investigations and Crime Intelligence. I also commend the conclusion of 461 cases of corruption and human rights violations in 2017 – 2018.

I hope that the strategy we are launching today will add more on these gains.

I am glad to note that strategy proposes key strategic interventions that if well implemented, can significantly reduce this vice. These include;

1.     Review and redesign of police forms to clearly indicate that Police services such as bond are free

2.     Adequate staffing and allocation of resources for service delivery

3.     Improving staff welfare

4.     Enhancing the capacity of the police disciplinary courts.

Please count on UNDP’s support in disseminating the strategy and partner with you in its implementation as appropriate.

We therefore look forward to our continued collaboration in fostering transparency, accountability and zero tolerance to corruption in the Uganda Police Force and the country at large.

I thank you all!