Last Updated on: 31st July 2023, 02:58 pm
Lira I The Commissioner of Police (CP) also the Regional Police Commander, North Kyoga Region, Deo Obura decorated 48 out of 236 senior police officers from North Kyoga Region.
The officers were recently promoted by Commander in Chief of the armed forces, Gen (rtd) Yoweri Kaguta Museveni.
While presiding over the pipping ceremony at Lira City Council Hall on July 29, 2023, CP Obura congratulated the 236 officers appointed to new ranks, a call to work harder to gain other ranks in future.
Obura further called upon the promoted officers to work hard and change the community and avoid cowardice.
“The police in its approach to fighting crime have got the master card called ‘community policing’. When you get to the community, people get to understand how police operate, and what they are supposed to do to end crime,” RPC Obura added.
He urged police officers in the Region to respect the community and also embrace community policing since the community will always have and provide police with first-hand information used in investigations.
“The community that pays our taxes and salary needs proper service delivery from us,” he told the officers.
To the decorated officers, Obura said the institution is very competitive due to the need for commanders, urging the need for capacity building to enable the recruitment of strong, determined and focused officers who are ready to work in the force.
Commissioner Obura also says “The addition in your rank today and mine inclusive means, the responsibility now becomes enormous,” calling upon the promoted officers to work hard not to embarrass the community that in one way or the other made them what they are today.
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“Don’t embarrass the institution that managed to identify us among the many and also decorated us.
On the other hand, he encouraged the officers who have not been promoted to have hope, work hard, exhibit exemplary characters, and above all, have discipline, urging them to stay away from alcoholism which sometimes pushes them far from such promotions.
The newly promoted officers are at the ranks of Senior Commissioner of Police, Commissioner of Police, and Assistant Commissioner of Police. Others are Senior Superintendent of Police, Superintendent of Police and Assistant Superintendent of Police, among others.
Among the decorated officers included DPC of Kwania district, Charles Mugisa, DPC of Apac district, Rogers Kapere (from Superintendent of Police to Senior Superintendent of Police), Regional Child Protection Unit’s Doreen Apio (from Asst. Superintendent of Police to Superintendent of Police), among others.
District Police Commander of Kwania district, SSP Charles Mugisa on behalf of the promoted officers, applauded President Yoweri Museveni Kaguta and the Police leadership for having promoted them out of the many, and according to him, the promotion can’t be taken for granted.
“When we are promoted, that means that the community appreciates our work and that adds value to the work we are rendering to the public,” Mugisa said.
SSP Mugisa added that the new ranks are a sign of responsibility and leadership which they must carry on consciously since security is for everyone in society.
“We shall take on the mantle sir and deliver as expected to our nation,” he added.
Meanwhile, North Kyoga Region Police Spokesperson, SP Jimmy Patrick Okema noted that 236 police officers from North Kyoga Region were elevated to various ranks.
“Of course, as we said, ranks come with different and more responsibilities. It is upon them now to behave in response to the ranks they have been elevated to. At the same time, like I said, it comes with challenges, responsibilities and appointments and lots of other things but we encourage them to behave, be exemplary in their affairs of policing this region so that we manage crime together with the partners that we always work with,” said Okema.
According to Okema, many aspects are observed while promoting officers and among them is the duration of time spent on a specific rank, discipline, level of education, and courses pursued by the officer, among other parameters.
SP Okema now encourages the officers who were not elevated not to lose hope but rather work hard.
“Even when a hen lays eggs, not all will hatch. So, we are sure that the next team will surely be elevated.”
Lawrence Egole, the Resident City Commissioner of Lira called on the promoted officers to take care of their jurisdiction and attend to them more as a way of paying back to the community they serve.
Egole also cautioned the community to accord respect to the police officers since they sacrifice a lot in keeping law and order.
“I always tell people that police officers sleep in the cold, they forego visiting their families, and at times they have breakages in their homes for the cause of the Wananchi they protect just like the army and prisons but it is often hard for these categories to be appreciated.”
RCC Egole further appealed to the community to give credit, appreciate and encourage the police officers so that they can always give their best.