Don’t delay electronic number plates, says President Museveni as he passes out Police Constables.
President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has reiterated his confidence in the digital motor number plates project, saying it will be vital in fighting criminality in Uganda.
Museveni made the comments on Wednesday while presiding over the passout ceremony of 2,717 newly trained Probational Police Constables, Special Police Constables and immigration officers at Kabalye Police Training School in Masindi district.
Of these, a total of 1,272 are Probational Police Constables (23rd intake), 1,388 Special Police Constables (integration course first intake), and 57 immigration officers.
They underwent rigorous training for 12 months, four months and two months, respectively.
Museveni noted that the electronic number plates will significantly close the criminality gap, especially terrorism, now that the force is using all the comprehensive means and assets at their disposal to tackle crime.
Museveni urged the new Police officers to use all the capabilities at their disposal such as the eyes, witnesses, cameras, Police dogs, telephones and forensics to get to the bottom of criminality.
The government officially launched the digital number plates on November 2, with the first phase targeting government-owned vehicles.
Through these two ministries, the government agreed to a 10-year deal with a Russian company to install digital tracking chips in all automobile number plates registered in Uganda, under the Intelligent Transport Management Systems (ITMS) programme.
Meanwhile, Museveni welcomed the new officers into the Force and thanked the Police leadership for rebuilding the Uganda Police Force to the current 53,000 personnel up from 3,000 personnel in 1986 after its reorganization.
He, however, said the number should be bigger to about 92,000 to match the international policing ratio of one policeman for every 500 people.