The civil division of the high court in Kampala has set September 1, 2023 for the judgement on the civil suit filed by city lawyer Steven Kalali, petitioning court over government’s purported negligence of the police’s welfare – especially their accommodation, which he says is in a sorry state.
According to the petitioner, the state of accommodation which the police are currently living breeds frustration in them and puts their lives at risk, hence contravening their right to life. This, Kalali says, is partly responsible for their brutality against citizens.
“Government did put in a reply and they acknowledged that all police officers below the rank of Assistant Inspector of Police, are entitled to decent shelter,” Kalali said.
The presiding judge, Justice Douglas Singiza directed the parties in the suit to file written submissions, after which he will deliver a ruling on September 1, 2023.
Kalali contests the police’s excuse that they do not have enough funds to provide decent accommodation to their officers, saying it is simply a matter of the institution’s skewed priorities.
“There is nothing like challenges of money, because each year money is disbursed to them and they use it to secure teargas and ammunition. None of these are not run by robots, they are utilised by human beings,” he argues, adding that this causes frustration, disillusionment and despair felt by the police officers living in such structures, leading to continued brutality against citizens.