Africa-Press – Uganda. The Opposition Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party has tasked the government to consider increasing the salary and better the general welfare of security officers in order to minimise the latest gun-related killigs.
Addressing journalists at their party headquarters in Kampala yesterday, the deputy spokesperson of the party, Mr John Kikonyogo, said increased cases of gun misuse by security officers are linked to stress and loss of hope in life.
“The government should look into their warfare not only salary, but a good number of them also need counselling services. Some Ugandans are stressed and angry. We are living in a hopeless situation, the economy hit us hard, and the government has to work on it,” Mr Kikonyogo said.
He further explained that in the past, security officers used to have duty-free shops stocked by the government.
“You know the salary of police officers is very low. The “bad” governments of those days had a way of helping all police and army officers. They [officers] were buying things from duty-free shops. If a bar or soap would be at Shs2,000, they would buy it at Shs1,000,” Mr Kikonyogo said.
“Today, we all buy items from the same shops yet these are people who don’t have time to do any other business because they are full-time on guard,” he added.
Mr Kikonyogo warned that if the stress issue is not worked on, cases of assassinations might increase.
On education, he noted that after the government put up schools for security officers’ children, they left them below standard and the food given to them [learners] is not good enough.
“How many of the senior officers take their children to these schools, do they have the standards that can produce a doctor or they are just institutions for the sake?” Mr Kikonyogo wondered.
He urged Ugandans to raise their voices and advocate for better pay and welfare for security officers.
“We have seen a lot of blood in Uganda, it’s time that Ugandans stand up and demand for security. What image do we give to other countries? In one week, four people have been shot dead not by thugs, but by the people who are authorised to have guns legally,’’ Mr Kikonyogo said.
He advised Ugandans to use social media campaigns like the latest pothole exhibition to hold government accountable.
Victims
In a space of two weeks, four people have been shot dead, including the State Minister for Labour, Charles Engola, and renowned vlogger Ibrahim Tusuubira. Last Friday, Uttam Bhandari, a moneylender of Indian origin, was shot dead by a police officer. In Makindye Division, a security guard shot a colleague dead on Saturday.
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