IGP Byakagaba Tasks Police Officers to Utilize Refresher Trainings

The Inspector General of Police, Abas Byakagaba, has urged police officers who have completed and those undergoing refresher courses to effectively utilise the skills and knowledge to improve the country’s security.

Byakagaba, who was speaking at the opening of a one-month course for 384 police officers at the Field Force Unit (FFU) training base at Kikandwa, Wakiso District, said it is unfair for an officer to complete a fresher course and not change in his or her area of assignment.

“You are lucky officers because you have been chosen to be part of this course. I encourage you to effectively utilise this course, acquire enough skills, and it is very important to utilise these acquired skills and improve police service delivery,” IGP Byakagaba said.

The 384 officers attending the course at Kikandwa have been drawn from the Criminal Investigations Directorate, Forensic Services, and K9 Unit. According to Assistant Inspector General of Police-AIGP Moses Kafeero, the director of police human resource development, the course is being held under the theme ‘skills enhancement and ideological orientation.’“This course aims to equip officers with the necessary skills and knowledge to effectively contribute to national development programs such as the Parish Development Model, Subcounty policing model, and Emyooga, among others,” AIGP Kafeero said. 

Directors of directorates from which the 384 police officers have been drawn were all present as IGP Byakagaba opened the course. These include the Director of CID, Maj Tom Magambo, and the Director of Forensic Services, ACP Andrew Mubiru.

Police are currently conducting several refresher courses to ensure that officers, mostly commanders deployed at the Sub-county, have sufficient knowledge to implement President Yoweri Museveni’s directive.

Museveni directed in 2019 that police stop concentrating personnel in urban areas while rural areas are being ravaged by criminals stealing cattle, coffee, cocoa, and other agricultural products. IGP Byakagaba is now implementing the directive and has since decided that 18 police officers will be deployed at each Sub-county.