President Museveni orders the deployment of 18 police officers per sub county

President Yoweri Museveni has ordered the deployment of at least 18 police officers per sub-county. The President made this directive while speaking at the National Heroes Day Celebrations in Gomba District on Sunday, 9th June 2024.

In his directive to the Inspector General of Police, Afande Abbas Byakagaba, President Museveni said this would go a long way in fighting the rampant cattle theft.

In April 2024, police arrested ten suspects in connection to the theft of at least five heads of cattle at the President’s farm in Gomba District. Among the suspects was Robert Nyanzi, a cattle dealer from Lwekibira village, who was allegedly buying stolen cows from the State farm. Nyanzi’s arrest led to the nailing of five other cattle dealers from various villages in Gomba District in connection to the theft of the President’s cows. Others arrested included a veterinary officer and a farm manager that implicated the involvement of insiders in the cattle theft racket.

The President also directed that these 18 police officers should be facilitated with motorcycles to ease their movement in the sub-counties.

“They should link with the villages through the telephone systems because you all have telephones. This will solve the crime because once the officers are called, they’ll just embark on the mission since they have got means of transport,” President Museveni said.

President Museveni also expressed his disappointment in the Police force for not managing petty crime because he believes sub-counties are no longer very big.

Tough on land evictions

While at the same event, the President also directed landlords to refund the excess money that they obtained from bonafide land occupants. This was a response to cries by Gomba residents about the exorbitant charges levied by landlords. The landlords are reportedly charging shs 1 million which is easily abnormally higher than the shs 10,000 annual ground rent that is provided for in the law.

“The landlord has no power to evict a kibanja person. The rent to be paid per year is shs 10,000 as decided by the Gomba Local Government” – President Museveni.