Luwero Town Council committed to paying its rent bills amounting to 2.4 million Shillings annually as part of social responsibility and to ensure the safety of all area residents. The area is both a crime hotspot and a busy business centre.
Kasana Police Station in Luwero town faces eviction
for failure to meet rent obligations. The station has been renting space from a commercial building owned by cissy Luwedde, along Kyebutika road in Luwero town since 2003.
Luwero Town Council committed to paying its rent bills amounting to 2.4 million Shillings annually as part of
social responsibility and to ensure the safety of all area residents. The area is both a crime hotspot and a busy business centre.
However, Luwero Town Clerk Irene Nakamatte wrote to the landlord on June 7, informing her that
the town council will no longer pay rent for the police station, a decision she said was irregular. Nakamatte explained that Uganda Police Force is an
independent institution and self-accounting for its operations.
Cissy Luwedde, the landlord told URN that she had
no problem with council’s resolution but demanded that they pay 1.2 million Shillings, in arrears accrued from January to date when they terminated
the agreement. Luwedde added that she has already notified the Officer in
Charge of the Police Station about the termination of the agreement and asked them to
find ways to pay for its own rent or vacate the building.
//Cue in; “Tawuni kanso…
Cue out…zezinatulamula.”//
Isah Ssemwogerere the Savannah Regional Police Spokesperson
says that Kasana Police Station is located in a busy business centre and the Force would prefer to maintain it there to secure the residents. He adds that the matter will be taken up by the Savannah
Regional Police Commander.
“Uganda Police Force is paying rent for several Police stations
which are located in buildings which are not ours. We hope Kasana Police
Station will also be catered for because we deem it necessary to maintain it
there,” Ssemwogerere said.
The Uganda Police Force had mounted a container at
the station to host a command centre for the town’s closed-circuit television
cameras to monitor the security of the area, which is home to an estimated population of 43,700
people.
In April 2015 the then Inspector General of Police Kale Kayihura
ordered for closure of Kasana Police post after gangsters attacked it and
killed an officer at night. Kayihura explained that the police post was
operating in a very dangerous and inadequate space which exposed it to
attacks.
But residents staged a protest against the closure and
blocked policemen from removing their equipment saying it was crucial in keeping
law and order in the town. They also demanded that its elevated to a Police
Station, a request which was effected and
more Policemen deployed to boost its capacity to respond to crimes in
the township.
