The Aswa West Regional Police Command has received its first batch of 900 Election Special Police Constables, marking the start of a large-scale security preparation effort ahead of Uganda’s 2025/2026 general elections.
The recruits reported to Negri Primary School Training Centre, with more expected to arrive before the official start of training on December 8, 2025.
The mobilisation is part of a nationwide security strategy aimed at strengthening police presence during the electoral period, particularly in regions considered sensitive to political tension and potential violence.
Aswa West, covering Gulu, Omoro, Nwoya, and Amuru districts, is among the areas identified for heightened election readiness.
Police officials say the 10-day programme will equip the recruits with skills in crowd management, election offences, public order control, human rights observance, and coordination with regular police units.
The training is expected to be intense, given the short duration and the high level of security risk anticipated during the elections.
In a statement issued over the weekend, the Aswa West Regional Police Command urged the new recruits to maintain strict discipline, warning that any form of misconduct will result in immediate disqualification.
The emphasis on discipline reflects past concerns over the professionalism and conduct of temporary election constables, who serve as auxiliary support during high-pressure political periods.
Recruits required to come fully equipped unlike regular police trainees who receive institutional supplies. Election Special Police Constables are expected to provide nearly all their personal necessities for the duration of the course.
The long list of required items offers a glimpse into the minimal resource environment in which the recruits will train.
Each trainee must bring bedding (a blanket, bedsheets, and preferably a 2-inch mattress or mat), gumboots, canvas shoes, socks, a mosquito net, sportswear, a sweater, and additional clothing.
They also need a basin or bucket, a 10-litre jerrycan for water, eating utensils, hygiene supplies, a 3-quire counter book and pens, sanitary pads for female recruits, underclothes, a torch, smearing oil, washing and bathing soap, and enough pocket money for personal use.
The demand for self-sufficiency at the training centre underscores longstanding concerns about logistical constraints within Uganda’s police training infrastructure.
Civil society organisations have previously pointed to issues of inadequate accommodation, sanitation, and welfare in temporary training camps, which rely heavily on trainees’ personal resources.
The 900 recruits already received are drawn from policing divisions across Omoro, Nwoya, Amuru, Gulu Rural, Gulu City Central Business Division, Gulu City West, and Gulu City East.
Authorities expect the number to rise significantly as additional recruits report for training. Internal police communication has suggested the region could train more than 2,000 Election Special Police Constables in total.
With elections less than a year away, security agencies are under pressure to demonstrate readiness amid concerns about political tensions, voter intimidation, and recurring violence in previous electoral cycles.
Election Special Police Constables play a crucial auxiliary role—supporting regular police in securing polling stations, escorting election materials, managing crowds, and responding to disturbances.
As Aswa West begins its first phase of training, the region is bracing for an election season expected to test both its security capacity and its ability to maintain public trust in the process.
The 10-day training is expected to end on December 18, 2025, after which the recruits will await deployment across the region.
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