Police reaps Shs2.5bn from gun license and renting

By Stephen Kalema  

Uganda Police Force (UPF) has declared that it collected over Shs2.5 from licensing and renting firearms in the Financial Year2017/18.

From the quarterly report on budget performance for the Financial Year 2017/18, Uganda Police Force collected Shs21.9bn as non-tax revenue where Shs1.5bn was from firearms licensing and Shs1.1bn was from firearms renting or hiring.

However, according budget projection report of FY2017/18, Police had projected at most Shs500m from firearms licensing but the actual collections exceeded the target three times (Shs1.5bn). However, there was a projection shortfall on firearms renting of Shs800m having collected only Shs1.1bn of Shs1.9bn

The report comes out at the time gun assassinations have become rampant in the country. Prominent people such as Maj: Kiggundu, Assistant Inspector General of Police Andrew Felix Kaweesi, Muslim clerics, Col Abrahim Abiriga, ASP Muhammad Kirumira have been killed using guns. This has left many unanswered questions  with the public still awaiting reports pertaining their assassination.

A crime report released at the beginning of this year showed that Lira had 18.8 per cent of gun-related cases, followed by Gulu at 10.4 per cent. However, out of 10 gun related cases, only one was investigated, with the report clearly indicating the slow speed police uses as per gun violence cases.

According to the budgetary performance report of FY2017/18 police also collected Shs255m from sale of government cars, Shs98m from escort charges, Shs38m from tenders, Shs1.4bn from police guards, Banks, Shs2.6bn from certificate of good conduct and Shs227m traffic accident fines.

Police boss Martin Okoth Ochola, together with  his deputy Muzeeyi Sabitti  are to present the two budget performance reports for FY2017/18 and FY2018/19 before the Parliamentary Committee on Defence and Internal Affairs next week following the flop of the scheduled meeting of Tuesday this week.