By Naboth Isaac Niwagaba
apearlnews.com
Over 100 Former Special Police Constables – SPCs who were deployed to provide security during the 2021 general elections in Kabale District have finally received their allowances after a series of protests.
After expiry of their contracts in April this year, the SPCs who were trained and deployed to provide security on polling stations in the 2021 elections decried none payment of their salaries and failure by Police Authorities to give any explanation about the matter.
The climax of the tension came up after the Inspector General of Police ordered that they return Uniforms that were given to them, but the SPCs instead stormed Kabale Police station demanding their unpaid salaries. They vowed that they would confiscate the uniforms until their salaries are paid.
The SPCs last month threatened to wear the uniforms and stage illegal road blocks and night patrols with intention to forcibly get money from car drivers and motorcyclists in a move to pay themselves after they learnt that some of their counterparts across the country were receiving their salaries.
Today, they were called to the Kable Police Station through phone messages that notified them that their salaries had arrived.
However, some SPCs however expressed dissatisfaction after receiving their three months’ salaries and demanded for more investigation into the delayal of their pay.
Sheilla Kesande, a resident of Nyakambu cell in Southern Division, Kabale Municipality said she had almost given up on the money and demanded that action should be taken on whoever caused the delay of their payment.
Sheilla who received shs. 1.2 million allowances for January, February and March said she would use the money to start up a hair Dressing business.
Manzi Uthman Ali said he had accumulated a lot of debts hoping the money would come as early as March 2021, and the received salary would all be spent in clearing debts. Ali demanded that Uganda Police Force improves on the system of communication in case of issues that affect the staff especially salary delays.
Meanwhile, the Kigezi Region Police Spokesperson Elly Maate expressed concern about the former SPCs who were impatient and started castigating officials of conspiracy to withhold their allowances. Maate said government can never fail to pay its dues as long as there is evidence that one was an employee in one of its agencies.
The Kigezi Region Commander Senior superintendent of police Dan Byaruhanga explained that the SPCs who received their salaries yesterday were recruited “late” in the second batch which had 123 SPCs. He explained that approval of their recruitment was delayed by the Human Resource Office at the Headquarters in Kampala and hence they had not received appointment letters by the time they were deployed at the polling stations.
Byaruhanga said payment of salaries could not be possible before arrival of the appointment letters.
After receiving their money, the Former SPCs handed in batons and Uniform that included a khaki shirt and trouser. They were also given certificates of appreciation from the Uganda Police Force.
