The Republic of Uganda

VALUE FOR MONEY AUDIT REPORT ON THE MANAGEMENT OF ACCOMMODATION BY THE UGANDA POLICE FORCE

Prepared by Office of the Auditor General

P.O. Box 7083 Kampala

FEBRUARY, 2012

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

LIST OF TABLES……………………………………………………………………………………………………………ii

LIST OF FIGURES ………………………………………………………………………………………………ii

LIST OF PICTURES…………………………………………………………………………………………….iii

LIST OF

ABBREVIATIONS ............................................................................................................... iv

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ....................................................................................................... v

CHAPTER ONE ................................................................................................................... 1

INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................ 1

1.1 Motivation ............................................................................................................... 1

1.2 Description of the Audit area .................................................................................... 1

1.3 Audit Objectives ...................................................................................................... 3

1.4 Audit Scope ............................................................................................................. 4

CHAPTER TWO .................................................................................................................. 5

METHODOLOGY ................................................................................................................. 5

2.1 Sampling ................................................................................................................. 5

2.2 Document Review .................................................................................................... 5

2.3 Interviews ............................................................................................................... 5

2.4 Observation/Field Inspections ................................................................................... 6

CHAPTER THREE ............................................................................................................... 7

SYSTEMS AND PROCESSES DESCRIPTION .......................................................................... 7

3.1 Roles and Responsibilities of Key Players ................................................................... 7

3.2 Process Description .................................................................................................. 9

CHAPTER FOUR ............................................................................................................... 11

FINDINGS CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ........................................................ 11

4.1 Allocation of Accommodation in the Police Barracks ................................................. 11

4.2 Gazetted Officers Staying in the Barracks ................................................................ 19

4.3 Maintenance of Police Buildings .............................................................................. 21

4.4 Inspection of Barracks Quarters .............................................................................. 30

GLOSSARY OF TERMS: ..................................................................................................... 35

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LIST OF APPENDICES

Appendix (i) Organisation Chart

Appendix (ii) List of Documents obtained and reviewed during audit

Appendix (iii) Interviews conducted

List of Tables Page

Table 1: UPF Funding for the period 2008/09 to 2010/11 3

Table 2: UPF Renovation work for the period 2008/09 to 2010/11 29

List of Figures

Figure 1: Number of Police officers and available housing units by region 11

Figure 2: Number of Gazetted officers staying in the barracks 19

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List of Pictures: Page:

Picture 1: Mattresses on the floor in Ntinda barracks 12

Picture 2: Storm Water inside the dormitory in Ntinda barracks. 12

Picture 3: Slab where a dormitory had been constructed but blown by wind. 13

Picture 4: Poorly constructed dormitory destroyed by wind. 13

Picture 5: Materials for 35 uniports in Arua Police Station meant for 7 outposts 14

Picture 6: Materials for uniports in Lira barracks. 14

Picture 7: One of the cracks on the veranda of one of the renovated houses. 15

Picture 8: Self-help houses in Luwero. 17

Picture 9: Some of the “Self-help” latrines in Ntinda barracks. 17

Picture 10: One of the housing units built under the Hydra-Form in Kitgum. 18

Picture 11: Stones holding the roof of one of the houses in Tororo barracks. 22

Picture 12: Roof in Arua barracks. 22

Picture 13: Cracks in one of the houses in Bushenyi. 23

Picture 14: Cracks and worn out plaster on one of the houses in Luwero 23

Picture 15: One of the hanging verandas in Fort-Portal barracks. 23

Picture 16: Rotten windows in Arua barracks. 24

Picture 17: Broken door at Bushenyi Police block. 24

Picture 18: Overflowing sewerage in Ntinda barracks. 25

Picture 19: Leakage of water in Nsambya barracks. 25

Picture 20: Blocked sewerage system in Tororo barracks. 25

Picture 21: Blocked sewerage system in Nsambya barracks plastic materials 25

Picture 22: Exposed electrical wires in Masindi barracks. 26

Picture 23: Uniport with exposed electrical wires in Tororo barracks. 26

Picture 24: Old Sewerage pipes that were removed but not replaced 27

Picture 25: Plants growing on the wall of one of the flats in Nsambya barracks 28

Picture 26: Plants growing on one of the buildings in Masindi barracks. 28

Picture 27: Cooking in one of the dormitories in Ntinda police Barracks. 31

Picture 28: Solid Waste in Ntinda barracks 32

Picture 29: Solid Waste in Arua barracks. 32

Picture 30: Turkeys in Ntinda barracks. 32

Picture 31: Ducks and Chicken in Arua barracks 32

Picture 32: One of the Cows in Tororo barracks 33

Picture 33: Goats in Nsambya barracks 33

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ABBREVIATIONS

AIDS Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome

ASP Assistant Superintendent of Police

CID Criminal Investigations Department

CP Commissioner of Police

DPC District Police Commander

FY Financial Year

HIV Human Immunodeficiency Virus

IGP Inspector General of Police

JLOS Justice Law and Order Sector

LC Letter of Credit

OAG Office of the Auditor General

OC Officer in Charge

PTS Police Training School

Ug Shs Uganda Shillings

UPF Uganda Police Force

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The welfare of Police officers in the Uganda Police Force (UPF) continues to

pose a challenge. Among the key welfare concerns, is the question of

insufficient residential and office accommodation for the Police staff. For

example, a stock of 4360 available housing units accommodate about 9,331

police officers, representing only 24% of the entitled officers, at a ratio of 1

house accommodating 2 police officers. In some barracks, most families are

sharing small rooms in housing units, including uniports, which are in most

cases dilapidated. The hygienic conditions in most of the places of

accommodation are deplorable.

The police barracks are characterised by old faulty sewerage and water

systems, and absence of a systematic garbage disposal mechanism. Old water

and sewerage pipes contribute to huge utility bills through leakages and bursts.

Poor electrical installations in the UPF barracks also escalate utility bills, and

accidents through electrocution and death of people in the barracks.

Government and development partners have increased funds invested in the

UPF from Ug Shs 142 billion (bn) in 2008/09 to Ug Shs 206bn in 2009/10 and

319.4bn in 2010/11. Of these funds, buildings received Ug Shs 3.8bn (2.7%),

Ug Shs 6.9bn (3.3%) and Ug Shs 5.5bn (1.7%) in 2008/09, 2009/10 and

2010/11, respectively.

Audit Findings

The Office of the Auditor General conducted a Value for Money (VFM) audit on

the management of accommodation by the Uganda Police Force and the

following audit observations were made:

Allocation of Accommodation in the Police Barracks

It was found that only 25% of the police officers entitled to accommodation

were provided with accommodation.

Inadequate accommodation is caused by failure to match recruitment and

transfer of staff with housing requirements, poor workmanship of some

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construction projects, delayed construction works, cost overruns and variations

which erode the available resources meant for construction work and impair

the achievement of construction targets.

Lack of accommodation has led to congestion in the barracks, lack of privacy,

promiscuity, defilement, misunderstandings between the different families, and

theft. The HIV/AIDS policy has also recognized the challenges of

accommodation in the police as one of the factors contributing to the spread of

HIV/AIDS. It has also led to the construction of un-planned structures by

individual police officers in barracks.

Gazetted Officers Staying in the Barracks

It was noted that gazetted officers at the rank of Assistant Inspectors and

above were staying in the barracks and efforts to evict them have been futile.

It was also observed that those required to pay rent had either not been

paying rent or the deductions were not consistent and accountability for the

money deducted from staff was not obtained. This is caused by conflicting

guidelines regarding gazetted officers staying out of the barracks, which

requires them to sign tenancy agreements and pay rent and at the same time

allows officers on operation command to stay in the barracks.

Allowing gazetted officers to stay in the barracks deprives entitled police

officers accommodation. Furthermore, failure by gazetted officers to pay rent

denies the UPF rental income. It should also be noted that officers’ salaries

were consolidated by the Ministry of Public Service to include housing

allowance. Selective deduction causes disharmony on the part of those paying

rent, while poor accountability and recording of rent can lead to

misappropriation of these funds.

Maintenance of Police Buildings

Police buildings are very old and in a state of disrepair. No systematic plan was

in place for maintaining the barracks in form of routine, periodic and

emergency maintenance work. The roofs were old, broken and leaking; the

walls had not been painted for several years, the cracks had not been repaired;

the verandas and sub-structure were affected by erosion; doors and windows

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were broken; water and sewerage pipes were old and characterised by

leakages, bursts and blockages; electrical installations and systems were

substandard, illegal and dangerous to the people living in the barracks.

This was mainly attributed to lack of clear systems of reporting and handling

repairs, lack of maintenance manuals to guide staff, poor maintenance culture,

and lack of an up-to-date inventory of all UPF buildings showing location, size,

age, and condition. Roof leakages create discomfort to the house occupants,

destroy property, damage roofing timber, weaken the walls and create

dampness in the houses, ultimately weakening the entire building. Asbestos

sheets also pose other health risks like cancer. Exposed verandas create a

conducive atmosphere for water absorption which leads to mould and rot and

rapid deterioration of buildings. Weak and damaged doors and windows

compromise the privacy of the people staying in the barracks and the security

of the property. Poor electrical and water systems contribute to high utility

bills.

Inspection of Barracks Quarters

UPF carries out inspections to ascertain the level of cleanliness, occupants in

the barracks, hygiene, and condition of buildings. It was noted that the UPF

does not have a standard time frame in which these inspections should be

done. As a result, some stations carry out weekly inspections while others carry

it out on a monthly or quarterly basis. Congestion, weak enforcement of rules

and the practice of converting kitchens into accommodation rooms also cause a

strain on achieving the desired objective of keeping the barracks clean at all

times.

The level of cleanliness in the barracks was not satisfactory. Cooking in un-

authorised places, solid waste disposal/management, keeping of poultry and

animals in the barracks were still a big challenge.

Recommendations

Allocation of Accommodation in the Police Barracks

Management should ensure that plans to recruit new officers and transferring

existing staff to other stations is matched with provision of accommodation.

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Management should ensure that construction projects are executed according

to agreed plans to avoid delays, cost-overruns and discourage variations as

much as possible, since they partly depict poor planning.

Gazetted Officers staying in the Barracks:

All rent deductions made from the officers should be reconciled and properly

accounted for to avoid loss of funds.

Management should streamline and harmonise the policies regulating the

occupancy of all police houses.

Maintenance of Police Buildings:

Management should assess the benefits of carrying out regular maintenance

against the costs and wastage resulting from inflated utility bills, gross wear

and tear of buildings and costs of entirely losing a building or even loss of lives.

Asbestos sheets should be phased out to reduce the health related risks to

human beings.

Management should institute a clear system of reporting and handling repairs;

further, a system to handle complaints and ensure a follow-up mechanism

should be put in place to monitor, report, assess and carry out repairs in a

timely manner.

Maintenance manuals and/or guidelines should be designed to guide staff

when carrying out maintenance work and ensuring that the minimum

standards of maintenance are achieved.

The UPF management should put in place and regularly update an appropriate

inventory/record of all its institutional buildings, site installations and land with

basic data relating to location, size, age, condition or construction materials

used.

Inspection of Barracks Quarters

The UPF management should establish a standard time frame for inspections

and sensitise all residents in the barracks about the dangers of cooking inside

houses and keeping animals in the barracks.

Efforts should be made to ensure that waste is disposed of properly and as

soon as possible to avoid outbreaks of diseases in the barracks.

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CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Motivation

The welfare of Police officers in the Uganda Police Force (UPF) continues to pose a

challenge. Among the key welfare concerns, is the question of insufficient residential

and office accommodation for the Police staff. For example, a stock of 4360 available

housing units accommodate about 9,331 police officers, representing only 24% of the

entitled officers, at a ratio of 1 house accommodating 2 police officers. In some

barracks, most families are sharing small rooms in housing units, including uniports,

which are in most cases dilapidated. The hygienic conditions in most of the places of

accommodation are deplorable.

The police barracks are characterised by old, faulty water and sewerage systems, and

absence of a systematic garbage disposal mechanism. Old water and sewerage pipes

contribute to huge utility bills through leakages and bursts. Poor electrical installations in

the UPF barracks also escalate utility bills, and accidents through electrocution and

death of people in the barracks.

Government and development partners have increased funds invested in the UPF from

Ug Shs 142 billion (bn) in 2008/09 to Ug Shs 206bn in 2009/10 and 319.4bn in 2010/11.

Of these funds, recurrent budget represented 90% in 2008/09, 82% in 2009/10 and

78% in 2010/11. Specifically, buildings received Ug Shs 3.8bn (2.7%), Ug Shs 6.9bn

(3.3%) and Ug Shs 5.5bn (1.7%) of the total funds for the respective years.

1.2 Description of the Audit area

The Uganda Police Force is established by Article 211(1) of the 1995 Constitution of the

Republic of Uganda under Chapter 12 and Section 2 of the Police Act Cap 303. The

Headquarters are situated at Parliamentary Avenue in Kampala.

Administratively the set up of the police is divided into 17 regions, 122 policing

districts/divisions and 213 stations/barracks. Other barracks not in the regional set up

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include Railways, Fire, Police Training School (PTS) Kampala, PTS Kabalye, Nsambya,

Ntinda, MPPU (Mobile Police Patrol Unit), Naguru, and Kireka.

1.2.1 Statutory Mandate

The Mandate of the Uganda Police as stated in Article 212 (a), (b), (c), (d) of the 1995

Constitution of the Republic of Uganda is to protect life and property, preserve law and

order, prevent and detect crime and to co-operate with the civilian authority and other

security organs established under the Constitution.

1.2.2 Vision, Mission Statement and Major Activities

The Vision, mission, and activities related to accommodation in the Uganda Police Force

are:

Vision

The Vision of Uganda Police Force is re-defined as “a Crime Free Society.”

Mission

“To secure life and property in partnership with the public in a committed and

professional manner in order to promote development.

1.2.3 Major activities of the Directorate of Logistics and Engineering

The Directorate of Logistics and Engineering in Uganda Police Force was created to

perform the following welfare functions:-

Develop effective systems for management of utilities.

Advise on plans for construction and maintenance of UPF infrastructure.

Ensure effective supervision and monitoring for UPF construction projects.

Initiate and develop policies and regulations on the use and maintenance of vehicles

and accommodation for the UPF.

Provide proper accommodation for the personnel in the UPF.

Undertake physical construction and maintenance of UPF buildings.

1.2.4 Organizational Structure

The Police Authority is the top decision and policy organ of the UPF with the Minister for

Internal Affairs as its chairperson. Other members of the Authority include the Attorney

General, Inspector General of Police (IGP), Deputy Inspector General of Police (D/IGP),

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Permanent Secretary Ministry of Public Service, a senior officer in charge of

Administration at UPF headquarters and three other persons appointed by the President.

Below the Authority is a team of top management charged with day to day management

of the UPF headed by the IGP who is the Chief Executive of the organization.

Specifically, the Department of Engineering in the Directorate of Logistics and

Engineering is headed by a Commissioner of Police who reports to the Deputy Director

(at the rank of Senior Commissioner of Police) and the Director Logistics and

Engineering (at the rank of Assistant Inspector General of Police). An organization chart

showing the above relationships is attached as Appendix (i).

1.2.5 Funding of the Police Force

The activities and operations of UPF are funded by the Government of Uganda and

development partners. From FY 2008/09 to 2010/11, Ug Shs. 678.1 billion was released

to the force as summarized in the table below.

Table 1: UPF Funding for the period 2008/09 to 2010/11.

Financial Year 2008/09

(Ug Shs in bn)

2009/10

(Ug Shs in bn)

2010/11

(Ug Shs in bn)

Recurrent 132.8 174.1 250.6

Development 14.1 37.7 68.8

Total Funding 146.9 211.8 319.4

Source: UPF audited Accounts FY 2008/09, 2009/10 and 2010/11.

1.3 Audit Objectives

The overall objective of the audit was to assess UPF’s efforts in implementing policies,

programmes and strategies aimed at improving accommodation in the UPF.

The specific objectives included:

To establish whether entitled police officers are provided with accommodation.

To ascertain whether the police stations and barracks are regularly maintained and

properly furnished.

To verify whether the barracks are subjected to regular inspections and kept clean

at all times.

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1.4 Audit Scope

The audit was conducted at Uganda Police Force Headquarters and covered Police

stations in the four regions of Uganda. The study covered three financial years from July

2008 to June 2011.

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CHAPTER TWO

METHODOLOGY

The audit was conducted in accordance with International Organization of Supreme

Audit Institutions (INTOSAI) Auditing Standards and OAG VFM Audit Manual. Those

Standards require that a VFM audit should be planned in a manner which ensures that

an audit of high quality is carried out in an economic, efficient and effective way and in

a timely manner. In collecting data from the field, the team reviewed documents,

carried out interviews and physical inspection/observation of the facilities.

2.1 Sampling

Stratified sampling was used to select the regions: Northern, Central, Eastern and

Western. From these regions, simple random sampling was used to select specific

stations as follows: Arua and Gulu in Northern region; Kampala, Mityana, and Luwero in

Central region; Tororo and Jinja in Eastern region; and Masindi and Bushenyi in Western

region.

2.2 Document Review

The team obtained and reviewed documents to obtain information relating to financing,

mandate, planned construction/maintenance outputs, the police strength, and progress

reports of works on the various construction and maintenance projects. Correspondence

on fire reports, barracks allocation/accommodation, rent deductions,

construction/maintenance contracts were also reviewed. The team also reviewed

registers of residents and population at the specific barracks. A list of documents

reviewed is attached as Appendix (ii).

2.3 Interviews

The team conducted interviews at Police headquarters, Kampala Metropolitan (Ntinda

and Nsambya barracks), Arua, Gulu, Mityana, Luwero, Tororo, Jinja, Masindi and

Bushenyi barracks/stations in order to establish: the allocation of accommodation to

police officers, reporting and execution of maintenance work, staff numbers in the

barracks, and the accommodation challenges experienced. Interviews were conducted

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with officers at UPF headquarters and upcountry police stations as shown in Appendix

(iii).

2.4 Observation/Field Inspections

Field visits were carried out in Kampala Metropolitan (Ntinda and Nsambya barracks),

Arua, Gulu, Mityana, Luwero, Tororo, Jinja, Masindi and Bushenyi barracks to ascertain:

the state, and extent of damage on residential facilities in the barracks, garbage disposal

management in the barracks, and the state of office equipment, furniture and utilities

provided by the Uganda Police Force.

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CHAPTER THREE

SYSTEMS AND PROCESSES DESCRIPTION

3.1 Roles and Responsibilities of Key Players

3.1.1 The Police Authority

This is the supreme governing body of the UPF chaired by the Minister of Internal Affairs

and consists of the following members: the Attorney General, the Inspector General of

Police, the Deputy Inspector General of Police, a senior officer in charge of

administration at the UPF Headquarters and three other persons appointed by the

President. The Authority plays two major roles of advising the Government on policy

matters relating to the management, development and administration of the Police

Force; and also advising the President on the appointment of the top managers of the

force.

3.1.2 The Police Council

This is the second top most governing body of the UPF chaired by the Inspector General

of Police and consists of the Deputy IGP, Directors, the Regional and Extra Regional

Police Commanders and officers at headquarters of the force responsible for finance

operations, human resource management, human resource development, community

affairs, policy research and planning, inspectorate, legal affairs, traffic and road safety,

communications, force transport, logistics and supplies, force estates, medical services,

operations, mobile police patrol unit, private security organisations, non-human

resource, firearms, criminal investigations administration, identification bureau, collation,

production and private security. The Police Council, among other functions, is

responsible for recommending to the Public Service Commission the recruitment,

appointment and promotion of police officers up to the rank of inspector of police and

may appoint a committee from among its members to assist it in the performance of its

functions under this section and may assign to it such functions subject to such

conditions and restrictions as the minister may deem fit.

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3.1.3 Ministry of Internal Affairs

This is the mother ministry of the UPF and is charged with policy and oversight matters.

The Minister responsible for Internal Affairs chairs the Police Authority, which is the

Supreme governing body of the UPF.

3.1.4 Inspector General of Police

The IGP is responsible for development, implementation, coordination, monitoring and

evaluation of security policies and strategies of the Uganda Police Force to ensure crime

prevention, protection of life and property of citizens and enforcement of law and order.

3.1.5 Deputy Inspector General of Police

The officer is charged with the coordination, management and guidance of police

inspection, finance and office support services to enable the institution to execute its

mandate.

3.1.6 Under Secretary

He/she reports to the Deputy Inspector General of Police and his/her role is to provide

financial support, office supplies and support services to all operational areas of the

Police Force to enable them to achieve their objectives and mandates.

3.1.7 Director Logistics and Engineering

Advises management on effective approaches to logistics, estates and Force transport

management. Develops effective systems for the management of utilities, and

supervises the construction projects in the UPF. The Director also advises on plans for

construction and maintenance of UPF infrastructure.

3.1.8 Justice Law and Order Sector (JLOS)

The Justice Law and Order Sector (JLOS), through a sector wide approach, brings

together the government ministries and departments involved in the justice system, like:

the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Ministry of Internal Affairs, Judiciary,

Uganda Police Force, Uganda Prisons Service, Judicial Service Commission, Uganda Law

Reform Commission and Directorate of Public Prosecution.

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3.1.9 Communities and Local Councils

The police work in partnership with Local Councils and communities to establish some

police units where there is demand for their services. They donate land, provide office

space or residential accommodation and also rent their buildings to the UPF.

3.1.10 Commissioner Barracks Administration

The Commissioner barracks administration is supposed to develop plans, policies and

strategies for effective police barracks administration; coordinate and manage the

operations of the barracks of the Uganda Police Force; and update and keep records of

all residents in a barracks. He/she is also required to offer technical advice on matters

relating to barracks administration; ensure proper and clean environment within the

barracks and the surrounding areas; promote good welfare for the residents of the

barracks; mobilize and sensitize residents about good principles of habitation; and

discipline officers or residents who commit minor crimes and break society norms in the

barracks.

The commissioner prepares work plans and budgets for the barracks administration and

forwards them to relevant authorities.

3.2 Process Description

3.2.1 Accommodation Process

After recruitment and eventual deployment, police officers below the rank of Assistant

Superintendent of Police are entitled to accommodation of a two or three roomed

housing unit, depending on rank. The allocation of housing units is a responsibility of the

Barracks Commandant or any other police staff of the same capacity in the police

barracks.

Gazetted officers above the rank of ASP and children above 18 years are not supposed

to be accommodated in the barracks.

3.2.2 Maintenance Process

The UPF has permanent and temporary buildings. Temporary houses include uniports,

dormitories, and mud and wattle buildings.

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The normal maintenance of all permanent buildings is the responsibility of the Police

Construction Unit. This includes repairs to barracks quarters necessitated by normal

wear and tear. Unit commanders are supposed to regularly inspect all buildings for

which they are responsible and submit necessary requisitions for repairs and

maintenance to their local police construction representative.

Unit commanders will address requests for repairs of any temporary buildings in their

command to their regional commander who will, if necessary, refer the matter to the

IGP.

All barracks quarters will be kept clean at all times and will be subjected to frequent

inspections, with specific attention to cooking places and the keeping of poultry and

animals in the barracks.

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CHAPTER FOUR

FINDINGS CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

4.1 Allocation of Accommodation in the Police Barracks

According to the Uganda Police Standing orders, police officers below the rank of

Assistant Superintendent of Police are entitled to accommodation.

A review of the summary of barracks data from the Department of Barracks

Administration revealed that of the 38,460 police officers entitled to accommodation,

only 9,331, representing 24% were provided with accommodation. The analysis of those

provided with accommodation also indicated that the number of housing units was not

matched with the number of police officers in the respective stations. Only 4,503

housing units were available for those officers to share at a ratio of 1 house to 2

officers. A summary of staff against available housing units is shown in figure 1 below.

Source: OAG analysis of data from UPF Barracks Administration Department.

In extreme cases, we noted that some female police officers in Arua and Ntinda were

sharing accommodation with male colleagues in the same house. In some of the

stations, like Nsambya, Ntinda, Tororo and Masindi, kitchens had been converted into

accommodation units and allocated to police officers for accommodation.

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It was noted that the inadequate provision of accommodation was attributed to a

number of causes as explained in the following paragraphs 4.1.1 to 4.1.3:

4.1.1 Standard of Workmanship of some Construction Projects

To alleviate the problem of accommodation and given that uniports were considered to

be more expensive, management constructed dormitories (commonly known as Kibati),

each to accommodate on average 40 policemen on assignments like Public Order

Management and accommodation of newly trained officers. A number of these

structures were built by the Estates Department while others were awarded to

contractors. This was planned to be a temporary arrangement to accommodate officers

in Kampala metropolitan and Entebbe areas. The temporary structures were built at a

cost of Ug Shs 13m each, while semi-permanent (meant to last up to 3 years) cost 30m

each. These have continued to be used even after their planned life span, to

accommodate the increasing numbers of police officers and the continued Public Order

Management activities, especially in Kampala metropolitan area.

We noted, however, that the workmanship on these structures was poor. The slabs for

some of the units constructed were substandard, with exposed aggregate stones

(Picture 1) while others were made of poor quality materials like timber and iron sheets.

Some of the structures built in Ntinda barracks were not occupied because the storm

water flows in the dormitories rendering them unfit for human habitation - Picture 2).

Picture 1: Mattresses on the floor in Ntinda barracks. OAG photo taken on 24th October 2011 at 2.47pm.

Picture 2: Storm Water inside the dormitory in Ntinda barracks. OAG photo taken on 24th October 2011 at 2.37pm.

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In Nsambya barracks where 7 semi-permanent structures were constructed in 2007, site

inspection on 2 of the sites revealed that one of the structures had been completely

brought down by the wind leaving only a poorly constructed slab (Picture 3) while

another one at the same site had also been badly damaged by wind. It also had a poor

slab and weak eucalyptus poles and iron sheets (Picture 4). In total, 4 structures worth

Ug Shs 52m in Nsambya were not occupied. Management explained that the units were

part of the contract worth Ug Shs. 149.8m which were not accepted by UPF. The

contractor was not paid and money was returned to the Consolidated fund.

Picture 3: Slab where a dormitory had been constructed but completely blow away by wind. OAG photo taken on 27th October 2011 at 3.25pm.

Picture 4: Poorly constructed dormitory destroyed by wind. OAG photo taken on 27th October 2011 at 3.27pm.

4.1.2 Failure to Match Recruitment and transfer of staff with housing requirements

The UPF is supposed to recruit 4,000 police officers annually to meet the International

target of 1 police officer to 500 people and address the shortfall which currently stands

at a ratio of 1:1,786.1 The need for growth is also dictated by the creation of new

districts in the country and requests for police services. Interviews with management

revealed that recruitment is not matched with the rate of house construction but is

instead dictated by the available resource envelope.

1 Justice Law and Order Sector Annual Performance Report 2009/10 – page 28

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It was also noted that the practice by staff transferred to other stations of leaving their

families in the barracks also creates shortage of accommodation in the barracks since

they practically occupy two houses in different stations.

4.1.3 Delayed Construction Works

It was also noted that delays in completion of projects, cost overruns and variations

some of them not authorised, erode the available resources meant for construction work

and impair the achievement of construction targets.

Management explained that the delayed completion of construction projects was

attributed to poor roads, especially in Northern and Eastern Uganda; land disputes; and

long bureaucratic payment system, involving several stakeholders and variations,

especially in renovation work, which have to be approved by the contracts committee.

Supply of 847 Uniports A contract for the supply of 847 uniports cost the UPF Ug

Shs 503.8m. Inspection of Lira, Arua and Kapchorwa revealed that the uniport materials

which were meant for outposts mainly at sub-counties were delivered at the main

stations. To-date, these uniports are still kept in the compound of the respective stations

and exposed to extreme weather conditions for over 1½ years. (Pictures 5 and 6).

Picture 5: Materials for 35 uniports in Arua Police Station meant for 7 outposts not yet delivered. OAG photo taken on 1st November 2011 at 11.34am.

Picture 6: Materials for uniports in Lira barracks. OAG photo taken on 27th July 2011 at 3.06pm.

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It will now cost Ug Shs 719.95m to erect these uniports instead of Ug Shs 423.5m when

they were delivered (as it currently requires Ug Shs 850,000 to erect 1 uniport

compared to Ug Shs 500,000 required at the time of delivery). This implies that delays

in delivery and installation of uniports will translate into an additional cost of Ug Shs

296.45m.

It was also noted that uniports have become relatively more expensive over the years.

While uniports used to cost a total of Ug Shs 2.50m, including installation/erection costs,

1½ years ago, it now requires Ug Shs 4.35m to put up a uniport of the same size and

quality. Besides, uniports may not be the best option to alleviate accommodation

problems as they are uncomfortable to stay in, as they are either too hot during a sunny

period or too cold during a rainy season.

Renovation of Gulu Barracks

The renovation of Gulu barracks which was to cost Ug Shs 497.62m, commenced in

October 2010 and was to be completed in March 2011. By the time of the audit

(December 2011), a total of Ug Shs 258.81m had been paid to the contractor. The

completion has been delayed by over 7 months. At the time of inspection, the contractor

had not been on site for over 4 months. We also observed that some of the work

completed, like verandahs, had started cracking, as shown in picture 7 below.

Management has extended the Letter of Credit (LC) more than 3 times and paid the

extension charges.

Picture 7: One of the cracks on the veranda of one of the renovated houses. OAG photo taken on 2nd July

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2011 at 9.38am.

Management Response

When works had just started there arose a need for change in the scope of

works which necessitated a change in the bills of quantities and hence the

requirement to get approval from the contracts committee. This had to take

some time before approval.

At the time of the inspection, the contractor was not on site while awaiting

approval of the variations but these have been approved and the works

resumed.

Renovation of Lira Barracks

The renovation of Lira barracks commenced in October 2010 and was to take 6 months

at a cost of Ug Shs 551.63m. To-date, the completion has delayed by 8 months. At the

time of audit (December 2011), the work had stalled and the contractor had abandoned

the site because the company had internal problems. The UPF management informed us

that the police legal department has taken over the case with the view of terminating

the contract. The delays, termination process and re-tendering is likely to increase the

cost far above the initial cost of Ug Shs 551.63m. Already, the UPF management has

had to extend the LC and pay the attendant LC management costs more than 3 times.

Management response

The contractor resumed the works recently and work is scheduled to be

completed by the end of January 2012 without any variations arising out of

delayed completion by the contractor.

Through interviews, it was noted that lack of accommodation has led to lack of privacy,

promiscuity, defilement, misunderstandings between the different families, and thefts.

The HIV/AIDS policy has also recognized the challenges of accommodation in the police

as one of the factors contributing to the spread of HIV/AIDS.

Failure to provide accommodation has led to the construction of un-planned structures

by individual police officers in barracks (commonly known as self-help as shown in

Pictures 8 and 9). Some police officers having been transferred, rent them out or in

some cases ask for compensation for their effort.

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Picture 8: Self-help houses in Luwero. OAG photo taken on 31st October 2011 at 10.33am.

Picture 9: Some of the “Self-help” latrines in Ntinda barracks. OAG photo taken on 24th October 2011 at 1.09pm.

Recruiting officers without corresponding provision of accommodation deprives the

officers of their right to accommodation and demoralises them. It also worsens the

already acute accommodation challenge in the UPF.

Management Response

Management further explained that in order to improve its operational

effectiveness, and upgrade the working and residential accommodation;

training facilities and other services; plans are underway to construct 7,300

police barracks and 24 police stations in 13 divisions of the Kampala

metropolitan area and a Police Training College in Kabalye, Masindi district

under the Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement in a period of three

years, where a private investor will design, finance, build and provide vital

maintenance of buildings. The signing of this agreement is expected to take

place in April 2012.

Another intervention the UPF management has taken to increase

accommodation in the UPF is through the Hydra-Form project where a total of

32 housing units and 4 police stations were constructed in Panyandoli

(Kiryandongo District), Nebbi and Kitgum in 2011 alone, while another 8

housing units and 5 police stations will be completed in 2012 in Busia, Nyero

(Kumi District), Kapeeka (Nakaseke District), Maracha, Awach (Gulu District)

and Sheema.

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Picture 10: One of the housing units built under the Hydra-Form in Kitgum. UPF courtesy photo.

Future plans under the Hyrda-Form project will include construction of more

accommodation blocks and police posts in Lamo, Maracha, Arua, Nyero,

Busia, Butaleja, Zombo, Sironko, Pakwach, Kamdini, Otuboi and the armory at

the Police Training School, Kabalye.

The implementation of this initiative, however, is hampered by lack of

adequate equipment, like excavators, mixers, vibrators, water tank vehicles,

water pumps, mobile generators for welding, lighting systems and mounted

trucks. The UPF also has challenges of inadequate skilled manpower,

bureaucracy in the procurement process, lack of timely supervision, price

fluctuations of construction materials and inadequate funds.

Conclusion

Absence of a workable plan to match the accommodation facilities with the growing

police staff numbers has deprived entitled police officers of decent accommodation thus

posing a challenge to the welfare and motivation of the force.

Failure by the UPF to ensure standard construction works by contractors on the various

police housing projects like Kibati dormitories and fully implementing the housing

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interventions like uniport installation has greatly and will continue to aggravate the

accommodation problem.

Recommendation

Management should ensure that plans to recruit new officers and transferring existing

staff to other stations is matched with provision of accommodation.

Management should ensure that construction projects are executed according to agreed

plans to avoid delays, cost-overruns and discourage variations as much as possible since

they partly depict poor planning.

4.2 Gazetted Officers Staying in the Barracks

All officers of and above the rank of Assistant Superintendant of Police are not supposed

to stay in the barracks. However, Paragraph 67(a) of Chapter 9 of the Police Standing

Orders requires such officers to be charged rent at laid down public service standing

orders. Occupancy of any Government housing shall be governed by a tenancy

agreement between the two parties detailing the terms and conditions of the tenancy.2

During audit, we found that there were gazetted officers of and above the rank of

Assistant Inspectors staying in the barracks and efforts by management to evict them

have been futile. Figure 2 below shows the number of gazetted officers staying in the

barracks in the respective stations.

Management indicated that they had taken measures to evict the officers from the

barracks as directed by the Police Council in October 2006. The eviction exercise was,

2 The Uganda Public Services Standing Orders (H-b) (1)

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however, rejected by the officers who instead opted to take the case to the Uganda

Human Rights Commission (UHRC) court arguing that their human rights had been

violated. The case was concluded in favour of UPF.

Regarding the payment of rent, management was deducting rent for the period under

review at the rate of 15% of the basic salary.

Management indicated that from 2003 to 2009 when the Police Council resolved to stop

deductions, Ug Shs 1.08bn had been collected as rent from the officers residing in the

barracks and out of this amount, Ug Shs 778.8m had been utilised to procure and install

uniports.

Evidence obtained during audit, however, indicated that to-date, recoveries of rent were

still being effected from some of the officers, more than 2 years after the Police Council

directive. It was noted, however, that the deduction policy is not applied consistently as

deductions were not being made from all the gazetted officers staying in the barracks.

The money was banked on the general expenditure account without ledgers of income

of expenditure for the rent received, making it difficult to account and verify such

transactions.

This is caused by conflicting guidelines regarding gazetted officers staying out of the

barracks, requiring them to sign tenancy agreements or a Memorandum of

understanding and pay rent and at the same time allowing officers on operation

command to stay in the barracks.

Allowing gazetted officers to stay in the barracks deprives entitled police officers of

accommodation. Furthermore, failure by gazetted officers to pay rent denies the UPF

rental income. Selective deduction causes disharmony on the part of those paying rent,

while poor accountability and recording of rent can lead to misappropriation of these

funds.

Conclusion

Gazetted officers were staying in the barracks without paying rent further increasing the

challenge of inadequate accommodation in the UPF. Rent deducted is not properly

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accounted for as required by the Public Service Standing Orders and the Treasury

Accounting Instructions.

Recommendation

Management should ensure that the recommendations of the Police Council and the

UHRC court ruling are implemented so as to provide more accommodation space for

the entitled policemen.

All rental deductions made should be reconciled and properly accounted for to avoid

loss of funds.

Management should streamline and harmonise policies regulating occupancy of all

police houses and properly invest rental income from police houses.

4.3 Maintenance of Police Buildings

The normal maintenance of all permanent buildings in the Force is the responsibility of

the Police Construction Unit. This includes repairs to barracks quarters necessitated by

wear and tear. 3 Unit commanders should address requests for repairs of any temporary

buildings in their command to their regional commander who will if necessary refer the

matter to the IGP.

Most of the police buildings were built during the colonial period (between 1920’s and

1960’s) and are very old and in a state of disrepair. There is no systematic plan for

maintaining the housing units in the police stations and the barracks in form of routine,

periodic and emergency maintenance work. The Directorate of Logistics and Engineering

does not carry out the maintenance of buildings. The interviews conducted revealed that

even when requests are sent to the Directorate, they are not honoured. Individual

officers carry out repairs that they can afford and the repair of offices is neglected.

During audit, attention was given to maintenance issues related to roofing, walling, and

veranda, doors/windows, water and sewerage systems and electrical installations as

summarised below:

3 Uganda Uganda Police Standing Orders 7th Edition Volume 1 Chapter 10(33).

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4.3.1 Roofing

Most of the houses in 6 of the 8 areas inspected are roofed with asbestos sheets. We

observed that the roofs were old, broken and leaking. The occupants of these houses

were improvising by using polythene sheets or supporting them in place with stones or

old car tyres (picture 11). This poses another risk of accidents in case these stones fall.

Concrete ceilings in Arua, Nsambya and Ntinda barracks had cracks and were leaking

(Picture 12).

Picture 11: Stones holding the roof of one of the houses in Tororo barracks. OAG photo taken on 3rd November 2011 at 9.33am.

Picture 12: Roof in Arua barracks. OAG photo taken 1st November 2011 at 11.36am.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates indicate that more than 107,000

people die each year from asbestos related lung cancer and other diseases because of

continued exposure to asbestos both at work and at home (all forms of asbestos are

carcinogenic to humans with potential of causing mesothelioma and cancer of the lungs,

larynx and ovary)4. Continued leakage of houses creates discomfort to the occupants,

destroys property, damages roofing timber, weakens the walls and creates dampness in

the houses, ultimately weakening the entire building.

4.3.2 Walling

The walls of the houses in the barracks and some of the office buildings were poorly

maintained. The stations had not been painted for several years. There was no effort

made to have the cracks repaired, some of which were 3cm wide, rendering the houses

4 World Health Organisation – Media Centre (http//www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/).

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unsuitable for human habitation yet people were still occupying such houses as shown in

Pictures 13 and 14.

Picture 13: Cracks in one of the houses in Bushenyi. OAG photo taken on 4th November 2011 at 1.23pm.

Picture 14: Cracks and worn-out plaster on one of the houses in Luwero 31st October 2011 at 10.26am.

4.3.3 Verandas and Substructure

The verandas and the sub-structures were worn out and exposed leaving some of the

houses “hanging”. The soils had been washed away by continued erosion and failure to

control storm water as shown in Picture 15.

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Picture 15: One of the hanging verandas in Fort-Portal barracks. OAG photo taken on 1st August 2011 at 5.13pm.

Exposed verandas create a conducive atmosphere for water absorption which leads to

mould and rot and rapid deterioration of buildings.

4.3.4 Doors and Windows

All barracks and offices inspected revealed that windows and doors were old and not

maintained. Window panes were broken while wooden doors and windows had rotted

away (Picture 16 and 17) or were badly damaged by termites.

Picture 16: Rotten windows in Arua barracks. OAG photo taken on 1st November 2011 at 11.48am.

Picture 17: Broken door at Bushenyi Police block. OAG photo taken on 4th November at 1.04pm.

Weak and damaged doors and windows compromise the privacy of people staying in the

barracks and the security of the property.

4.3.5 Water and Sewerage Systems

The water, plumbing and sewerage systems were laid over 50 years ago. The water

pipes were leaking, and the sewerage pipes were blocked leading to overflow of

sewerage (pictures 18 and 19).

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Picture 18: Overflowing sewerage in Ntinda barracks. OAG Photo taken on 24th October 2011 at 2:06pm.

Picture 19: Leakage of water in Nsambya barracks. OAG photo taken on 27th October 2011 at 3:59pm.

In some cases, it was noted that sewerage systems were blocked (pictures 20 and 21)

due to poor disposal methods of waste disposal like throwing of polythene bags, sanitary

pads and failure to use soft tissues like toilet paper. There was no evidence that

management was paying attention to the leakages and blockages.

Picture 20: Blocked sewerage system in Tororo barracks. OAG photo taken on 3rd November 2011 at 9.45am.

Picture 21: Blocked sewerage system in Nsambya

barracks plastic materials OAG photo taken on 27th October 2011 at 3.58pm.

It was also evident that response time to address faults was too long. In Nsambya

barracks, for example, it had taken the Estates Department more than a year to fix a

burst on a 3 inch pipe on the Gaaba road main reservoir tank serving the entire

barracks. At the time of inspection, the leakage had not been repaired. Management

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explained that delays were due to lack of the necessary materials, like pipes, to address

such repairs as and when they occur. Repair materials have to be requisitioned and

purchased from the open market.

Officers at the stations attributed the delays and failure to address maintenance and

repair work to lack of facilitation, as each station receives only Ug Shs 0.8m quarterly to

handle all office operations. Poorly maintained water and sewerage pipes lead to

wastage of water which translates into increased water bills and contamination.

4.3.6 Electrical Installations

The electrical installations and wiring system in the barracks inspected was sub-standard

and, in some cases, individual occupants illegally connected electricity from one house

to another without regard to safety measures. Some of the wires were not insulated,

while others were covered with polythene sheets. Other live wires were exposed and too

close to entrances or on metallic uniports as shown in picture 22 and 23.

Picture 22: Exposed electrical wires in Masindi barracks. OAG Photo taken on 31st October 2011 at 3:47pm.

Picture 23: Uniport with exposed electrical wires in Tororo barracks. OAG photo taken on 3rd November 2011 at 9:54am.

The current electrical wiring in the UPF also exposes the occupants of these houses to

the risk of electrocution. In one of the uniports in Nsambya barracks, for example, a

child and the mother were electrocuted in 2008 and the child died as a result. Another

child was also electrocuted and died in October 2009 in Tororo barracks.

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Poorly connected electrical installations and old electric wires cause much resistance and

energy loss, consequently leading to increased electricity bills.

4.3.7 Other Maintenance Works - Overhaul of Tororo Water and Sewerage Systems

The renovation of Tororo water and sewerage systems commenced in October 2011 at a

cost of Ug Shs 312.83m. The project was expected to take a period of 7 months and the

scope of works was to repair works on 12 existing structures, plumbing and sanitary

works and construction of 2 septic tanks. The inspection carried out at Tororo barracks

revealed that the old sewerage pipes were removed by the contractor but not replaced.

There was no evidence that the old water system was overhauled. Instead new toilets

which were not part of the initial agreement were constructed leaving the old ones

incomplete (Picture 24). The new ones did not cover the entire barracks where the old

pipes were removed. We also observed that the toilets were blocked or the PVC pipes

were broken and leaking.

Picture 24: Old Sewerage pipes that were removed but not replaced in Tororo barracks. OAG photo taken on 3rd November 2011 at 10.05am.

Management indicated that inadequate provision of the funds required for repair and

maintenance works is the major reason for the backlog in the maintenance of police

buildings.

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We also noted that the Estates Department does not have staff at the barracks and at

the regional level to carry out routine inspection, receive and handle complaints, carry

out assessments and repair work at the barracks or at the regional level as and when

reported.

There was no maintenance manual to guide staff in their work and no master plan

showing overall maintenance requirements. We also noted that where works are

undertaken, projects are characterized by delays and cost overruns.

The poor maintenance culture in the UPF also contributes to the poor state of the

buildings in the barracks and offices. Simple tasks like removing plants from the walls

and roofs of buildings which may not require any money were not being done. This

leads to cracks in the walls or rotting of buildings (pictures 25 and 26).

Picture 25: Plants growing on the wall of one of the flats in Nsambya police barracks. Photo taken by OAG.

Picture 26: Plants growing on one of the buildings in

Masindi barracks. Photo taken by OAG.

UPF does not have an up-to-date register of its housing stock in the country. Planning

for maintenance without an accurate account of all buildings, their location, age or

condition becomes difficult.

Management Response

In the past three financial years, UPF has carried out maintenance projects

worth Shs 2.99bn as shown in Table 2 below. Funds permitting, UPF plans to

overhaul, on a case by case basis, a particular barracks where the roofs will

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be replaced and painting done to create a more visible impact rather than

spreading of the little resources over a wider area.

Table 2: UPF Renovation work for the period 2008/09 to 2010/11.

Financial Year Project Name Amount (Shs)

2008/09 Old Kampala Police Barracks 250.0m

Iganga Barracks 200.0m

2009/10 Mubende Police Barracks 250.0m

Atyak Police Barracks 192.8m

2010/11 Nsambya Barracks (Maternity) 74.4m

Lira Police Barracks 551.6m

Gulu Police Barracks 478.9m

Mechanical Workshop Kampala 486.2m

Nsambya Police Canteen 289.7m

Naguru Armory 211.4m

Total 2,985m

Source: UPF Management

However some of the buildings in Naguru, Ntinda, Nsambya, Jinja, Mbale,

Masaka, Mbarara, Tororo, Lira and Gulu were built between 1928 to 1962 and

are beyond renovation.

Conclusion

Absence of a maintenance policy has greatly contributed to the accommodation problem

where the few available housing units have not been maintained at all leading to their

deterioration in quality and in some cases total collapse.

Recommendation

Management should assess the benefits of carrying out regular maintenance against

the costs and wastage resulting from inflated utility bills, gross wear and tear of

buildings and costs of entirely losing a building or even loss of lives.

Asbestos sheets should be phased out to reduce the health related risks on human

beings.

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Management should institute a clear system of reporting and handling of repairs to

handle complaints and ensuring that a follow-up mechanism is put in place to

monitor, report, assess and carry out repairs in a timely manner.

Manuals and or maintenance guidelines should be designed to guide staff when

carrying out maintenance work and ensuring that the minimum standards of

maintenance are achieved.

UPF management should put in place and regularly update an appropriate

inventory/record of all institutional buildings, site installations and land making up

their building stock with basic data relating to location, size, age, condition or

construction materials used.

4.4 Inspection of Barracks Quarters

All barracks quarters should be kept clean at all times and should be subjected to

frequent inspections. The lighting of fires and cooking of food should be in specially

constructed places. Poultry may not be kept in Police barracks unless properly penned

in enclosures which should be out of sight, and at the back of the barracks and in an

area approved by the unit commander. No other animals will be kept in any police

barracks.5

In all the barracks visited, we noted that UPF carried out inspections to ascertain the

level of cleanliness, occupants in the barracks, hygiene, condition of building and to

settle misunderstandings and domestic quarrels. However, there was no standard time

frame or reporting requirements as to when the exercise should be carried out. While

UPF carried out weekly inspections in 80% of the stations visited, 14% of the stations

were inspected on a monthly basis while 6% were being inspected on a quarterly basis.

The inspections carried out during audit revealed that the level of cleanliness in the

barracks was not satisfactory. Cooking in un-authorised places, management of

wastewater, solid waste disposal/management, keeping of poultry and animals in the

barracks were still a big challenge.

5 Uganda Police Standing Orders 7th Edition Volume 1 Chapter 10 (41) (a) and (c).

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4.4.1 Cooking in Unauthorised Places

Inspections revealed that some of the officers were cooking inside the dormitories

instead of the designated kitchen/cooking areas as shown in Picture 27 below.

Picture 27: Cooking in one of the dormitories in Ntinda police Barracks. OAG Photo taken on 12 October

2011 at 3.25pm.

Electrical coils and charcoal stoves were being used inside their houses or on verandas

and not in the designated cooking areas/kitchens. The charcoal stoves generate much

soot which soils the walls and the entire house.

We noted that officers partition dormitories with cardboards, ply-wood and paper

packaging material for privacy. These initiatives increase the risk of fire in the barracks

and risk the lives of the people. In Ntinda barracks, one of the dormitories was burnt

down in June 2010 where a 2 year old child died in the inferno and property of 14

families were destroyed, while another house in Nsambya also caught fire in November

2008 destroying household items, cash and documents for 7 families. These losses could

have been minimized if there was no congestion.

4.4.2 Solid Waste Disposal

Disposal of garbage in the barracks has had challenges. In some of the stations

inspected, heaps of decomposing garbage were stretching to verandahs or very close to

entrances with a foul smell and attracting flies. Some of the heaps had stayed for more

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than 5 years, creating huge mounds. (Pictures 28 and 29). While the respective urban

Councils were facilitating the collection of solid waste from the barracks in upcountry

stations, UPF trucks were responsible for the Kampala Metropolitan area. The trucks

were characterized by frequent breakdown or lacked fuel to take the garbage to the

dumping site.

Picture 28: Solid Waste in Ntinda barracks. OAG Photo taken on 24th October 2011 at 1.28pm.

Picture 29 Solid Waste in Arua barracks. OAG Photo taken on 1st November 2011 at 11.51am.

Poor waste management and disposal also exposes the residents to water-borne

diseases and also harbours vectors/rodents that transmit diseases to humans like flies,

mosquitoes and rats.

4.4.3 Keeping of Poultry and Animals in the Barracks

We established that police officers were keeping poultry in all the stations visited

including chicken, ducks and turkeys and these were not being kept in special penned

houses, but left to move freely in the barracks as shown in pictures 30 and 31.

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Picture 30: Turkeys in Ntinda barracks. OAG photo taken on 24th October 2011 at 12.53pm.

Picture 31: Ducks and Chicken in Arua barracks. OAG photo taken on 1st November 2011 at 11.51am.

The rearing of animals like goats, sheep, dogs, and, to a small extent, cows, was also

practised (pictures 32 and 33). Some of the goats were tied near houses or the

verandas.

Picture 32: One of the cows in Tororo barracks. OAG photo taken on 3rd November 2011 at 10.38am.

Picture 33: Goats in Nsambya barracks. OAG photo taken on 27th October 2011 at 4.04pm.

Management explained that animals were reared in the barracks by individuals or at

communal level to boost their livelihoods and supplement their household incomes. In

some cases, these animals were reared on the pretext that they were in transit or meant

to be slaughtered during festive days.

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Free range rearing of poultry and animals can also be a potential source of diseases in

the barracks, generate misunderstandings amongst neighbours, especially where these

animals cross compound boundaries, thus exacerbating the already existing congestion

in the barracks. Animals are also a source of wear and tear of buildings as they tend to

scratch the walls and floors in search of shelter or insects.

Conclusion

Inspection of barracks in the UPF has not achieved the intended purpose. Rearing of

poultry, keeping of animals and cooking in unauthorised places in the barracks continue

to take place. The objective of ensuring that the premises are kept clean at all times has

not been achieved.

Recommendation

The UPF management should establish a standard time frame for inspections and

sensitise all residents in the barracks about the dangers of cooking inside houses

and keeping of animals in the barracks.

Efforts should be made to ensure that waste is disposed of properly as soon as

possible to avoid outbreak of diseases in the barracks.

John F. S. Muwanga AUDITOR GENERAL

KAMPALA

27th February, 2012

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GLOSSARY OF TERMS:

Term Definition

Asbestos: The term asbestos designates a group of naturally occurring

fibrous minerals with current or historical commercial usefulness

due to their extraordinary tensile strength, poor heat conduction,

and relative resistance to chemical attack.

Barracks A building or group of buildings where members of the police

force live.

1

APPENDIX (i) UPF ORGANISATION STRUCTURE

Police Council

IGP

Deputy IGP

Poli

tica

l C

om

mis

sar

Dir

ecto

r of

Info

rmat

ion a

nd

Com

munic

atio

ns

Tec

hnolo

gy

Dir

ecto

r H

um

an R

esourc

e

Dev

elopm

ent

and

Man

agem

ent

Dir

ecto

r C

ID

Dir

ecto

r C

ounte

r T

erro

rism

Dir

ecto

r of

Oper

atio

ns

Dir

ecto

r L

ogis

tics

and

Engin

eeri

ng

Dir

ecto

r R

esea

rch,

Pla

nnin

g a

nd D

evel

opm

ent

Dir

ecto

r In

terp

ol

and P

eace

Su

pport

Oper

atio

ns

Dir

ecto

r P

oli

ce O

per

atio

ns

Inspectorate Department

Finance and Office Support Services

Professional Standards Unit

Legal Services Public Relations /Police Spokesperson

Government Security

Police Authority

2

Appendix (ii) List of Documents Reviewed

Document Purpose

Ministerial Policy Statements – Ministry of

Internal Affairs 2008/09, 2009/10 and

20010/11

Obtain plans, funding, force strength and

performance for the UPF

Police Department Reports and Financial

Statements FY’s 2008/09, 2009/10 and

2010/11

To establish funding for the UPF for the 3

years under review.

Justice Law and Order Sector Annual

Performance Report 2009/10

To get an overview of UPF performance in

the sector

Uganda Police Standing Orders (7th Edition)

Volume 1

Obtain standards of performance for the UPF

Approved Structure for Uganda Police Establish the staff structure of the UPF

Compendium of Laws 2008 (Police Act) Obtain mandate of UPF, functions of Police

Council

Contracts Establish agreed amount and scope of works

for civil works in the UPF

Minutes of Police Council To obtain decisions reached by Council on

accommodation of gazetted police officers

Summary of Barracks Data To establish the number of housing units and

officers accommodated by the UPF

Mwangaza UPF magazine Challenges of accommodation in the UPF

3

Appendix (iii) Interviews Conducted

Section Officer(s) Purpose of the interview(s)

UPF

Headquarters

The Deputy Inspector

General of Police.

To obtain understanding of the operations and

structure of the Uganda Police Force.

UPF

Headquarters

The Under Secretary To obtain information about the planning,

budgeting, releases, accounting and

monitoring of the various UPF activities.

UPF

Headquarters

Commissioner; Barracks

administration

To obtain clarification on who is entitled to

barracks accommodation and administration of

barracks.

Directorate of

Logistics and

Engineering

Jinja Road.

Director; Logistics and

Engineering.

Obtain an understanding of the structure of

the Directorate of Logistics and Engineering

and the major activities of the directorate.

Directorate of

Logistics and

Engineering

Jinja Road.

Deputy Director;

Logistics and

Engineering.

Ascertain the Directorate’s plans of increasing

accommodation facilities to match the

recruitment of police personnel.

Barracks

Administration

Barracks Commandant;

Ntinda-Naguru-Kireka.

To establish the nature of houses in the

barracks, how they are allocated, the

population of police staff accommodated and

the challenge encountered.

Barracks

Administration

Barracks Commandant

Nsambya.

To establish the nature of houses in the

barracks, how they are allocated, the

population of police staff accommodated and

the challenge encountered.

Barracks

Administration

DPC/ OC Barracks Gulu To establish the nature of houses in the

barracks, how they are allocated, the

population of police staff accommodated and

the challenge encountered.

4

Barracks

Administration

OC CID/CLO/OC

Barracks Luwero

To establish the nature of houses in the

barracks, how they are allocated, the

population of police staff accommodated and

the challenge encountered.

Barracks

Administration

DPC/OC station/OC

Barracks Arua

To establish the nature of houses in the

barracks, how they are allocated, the

population of police staff accommodated and

the challenge encountered.

Barracks

Administration

DPC/OC Barracks Tororo To establish the nature of houses in the

barracks, how they are allocated, the

population of police staff accommodated and

the challenge encountered.

Barracks

Administration

OC Barracks; Jinja Main

Police Barracks

To establish the nature of houses in the

barracks, how they are allocated, the

population of police staff accommodated and

the challenge encountered.

Barracks

Administration

DPC/OC Barracks

Bushenyi

To establish the nature of houses in the

barracks, how they are allocated, the

population of police staff accommodated and

the challenge encountered.

Barracks

Administration

DPC/OC CID/ OC

Barracks Masindi

Establish the nature of houses in the barracks,

how they are allocated, the population of

police staff accommodated and the challenge

encountered.