Police Deployment at Parliament Reduced to Curb Spending

The Parliament of Uganda has seen a significant reduction in its police security detail, with deployments slashed from around 400 officers to roughly 200. The remaining officers are to be redeployed from police headquarters.

This decision stems from a recent security assessment and a commitment to financial prudence championed by the new Speaker of Parliament, Jacob Marksons Oboth Oboth. Upon his election, Oboth pledged to review the Parliament’s budget and reallocate funds away from perceived wasteful expenditures towards more critical departmental needs.

Chris Obore, Director of Communications and Public Affairs at Parliament, confirmed the reduction, stating it fulfills the Speaker’s promise of “financial frugality.” He explained that such reductions are always made in consultation with police authorities, indicating their satisfaction with the revised security arrangements and threat assessment.

While the exact numbers fluctuate, Obore indicated that the consensus between Parliament and the police is that the full complement of 400 officers was no longer necessary. This adjustment reflects a confidence in the current security situation. Obore added, “If there were higher security threats, maybe the police would advise otherwise. The fact that they have gone with that decision means they are satisfied equally, and that serves the promise of the Speaker that he would prefer to live humble and be efficient.”

Sources within Parliament suggest the directive for officers to vacate their posts and report back to headquarters was effective immediately. Obore noted that police deployments typically function under immediate directives from command.

The reduction in personnel may impact the security arrangements for top parliamentary leadership and their residences, which were previously covered by these deployments. However, specific details on retained security detail were not immediately available, as the police spokesperson did not respond to queries.