Breaking News!! IGP Byakagaba Allegedly Sacks 2,000 SPCs, civilians from police Force

The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Abas Byakagaba, has dismissed more than 2,000 Special Police Constables (SPCs) and civilian staff across various departments and units of the Uganda Police Force.

According to senior officers who spoke to Uganda Radio Network (URN), Byakagaba issued the directive three days ago, instructing that all SPCs and civilians be relieved of their duties by the end of this week.

“It was an unexpected move, and the reasons behind it are still unclear,” said an Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP). “We are now scrambling to find police officers to fill roles such as office administrators and secretaries. No directorate or unit is allowed to employ civilians anymore.”

Efforts to get a comment from Police Spokesperson Kituuma Rusoke were unsuccessful, as he did not respond to inquiries. Meanwhile, directors and unit commanders have started recruiting police constables to bridge the staffing gaps left by the mass dismissal.

“Some of us have even reserved constables who are due to complete their training next month to serve as secretaries or office administrators,” another ACP noted. “Many civilians had been working in these roles for over a decade, but they have been cleared out within just two days.”

Early last year, the police leadership instructed SPCs and civilian staff with degrees to apply for the Officers’ Basic Course (OBC), a requirement for full integration into the police force. However, a significant number of civilians who had served for years failed to meet the physical fitness standards or dropped out after starting the course, returning to their civilian roles.

“Although no official explanation has been given, we suspect that the earlier push for OBC enrollment was part of a broader plan leading to this decision,” a Superintendent of Police suggested.

Currently, 2,500 recruits—including several former civilian staff—are completing a year-long training course, set to end on May 10, 2025. Others with degree qualifications have already completed a 90-day OBC course and have been assigned official force numbers.

Additionally, civilians who successfully completed OBC training last year are expected to undergo further courses to qualify as Assistant Inspectors of Police (AIPs) or Inspectors of Police (IPs), and eventually move up to the rank of Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP).

There is also speculation that the mass dismissal aims to ease the police’s financial strain. SPCs reportedly earned about 370,000 Shillings monthly, with over 1,000 on the payroll—translating to approximately 370 million Shillings each month and 4.4 billion Shillings annually. Degree-holding civilians were earning between 500,000 and 1.5 million Shillings monthly.

With the force currently operating under a tight budget, district and division police commanders, along with directors and department heads, have been grappling with a severe fuel shortage, despite efforts by police leadership to keep the issue under wraps.

“While cost-cutting might be necessary, this abrupt decision will have a serious impact,” another Superintendent said. “Those civilians handled specialized administrative duties that many police officers are neither trained for nor experienced in.”

Questions also remain about how police constables, primarily trained for command roles, will be adapted to administrative tasks.

It is still unclear whether civilians attached to critical directorates like ICT, logistics and engineering, welfare, and production were among those dismissed.