The Inspector General of Police, Martin Ochola
Lawmakers on Parliament’s Defence and Internal Affairs Committee want the Shs187Bn needed for the implementation of the third phase of CCTV cameras halted until a review is conducted into the two earlier projects that were marred with controversy over the poor quality cameras installed.
This followed concern raised by lawmakers who questioned the quality of the CCTV cameras that were installed, following rampant reports of people failing to access footage despite certain crimes happening in front of the cameras.
It should be recalled that Uganda Police has implemented two phases of CCTV project, where phase 1 involved installation of 3233 cameras within Kampala Metropolitan Police and phase II involved installation of 2446 cameras in 10 new cities, municipalities major towns and highways.
The Police while presenting their 2023/2024 policy statement revealed the need for an additional Shs187Bn for the third phase, a proposal that MPs have rejected until a review is conducted on the two phases.
Rosemary Nyakikongoro, Chairperson Defence and Internal Affairs Committee warned the top Police administration that this time around, the investigator is going to be investigated, particularly with the CCTVs project, citing an incidence when the police man was killed near the CCTV and Police wasn’t able to produce the picture of criminals, wondering if Government should continue to spend money on something that isn’t working.
She said, “We aren’t saying that we don’t want that money to be spent, but how are we going to spend it on things that aren’t operational? So let us halt the CCTV cameras, we shall interrogate the more of it and bring those issues that have been brought to our table. We can’t support phase 3 when phase 1 and 2 are really not working. It isn’t a matter of rushing to spend money on something that is going to be used on the dummy cameras, we would rather spend on something that is quality.”
During the interface, Abdallah Kiwanuka (Mukono North) asked Police to streamline modalities on how people trapped in legal battles can access footage remarking, “I want you to be clear whether people who come to Police to be assisted to trace their property taken using services of the CCTV whether they have to pay. Because we have information that people who seek services of CCTV, they end up paying Shs200,000 of Shs300,000 what is the criteria? People end up paying money, is it for free?”
The Inspector General of Police, Martin Ochola asked MPs and the general public to make use of the Police professional Standards Unit to report all cases of Police officers who demand for money for the footage noting, “Then payment to access information from CCTV this is free of charge and I wish you would be giving me a call or sending those people to me and we arrest them.”
Aggrey Wunyi, Under Secretary Police also called for enactment of a new law to streamline the access of CCTV footage by the general public, and this legislation will provide avenues for the payment of the footage which is being provided for freely.
He said, “We need a law for people to access CCTV footage legally and use it for legal purposes. As of now, we are planning to amend the Police Act and provide for this electronic evidence so that you can have it. So currently, much as we aren’t asking for money, when that law passes, we intend to make it one of the sources of Non Tax Revenue like all other police reports you pay to get it, so this one also you pay. We shall be coming to the Committee to present our proposals for amending the Act.”
However, Nyakikongoro fired back noting that the amendment of the Police Act has been pending for long and there are already threats by some MPs to table before Parliament a private member’s bill.
In the 2023/2024 national budget, Police has been allocated Shs830.671Bn and of this, Shs383.034Bn is for wages, Shs306.434Bn non wage expenditure, while development has been allocated Shs134.434Bn and payment of arrears is placed at Shs6.942Bn.
