The Inspector General of Police, Abbas Byakagaba has recommended and encouraged Private Security companies to take over the Election Police Constables who were recruited by police to help in keeping and maintaining security during the 2026 general elections.
Byakagaba confirmed that soon, the said election constables will be decommissioned following the end of the general elections cycle which they were recruited and trained to protect.
He made the statement while meeting the Executive Members of the Uganda Private Security Association (UPSA) the umbrella body which brings together all registered private security organisations in the country at the Police headquarters, Naguru on Wednesday.
He said that the 99,000 election constables who wish to join the private security will address human resource constraints the sector has been facing as well as improving the standards and quality of services the companies offer to the public.
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“Police will offer it’s training camps in different regions of Uganda, provide clothing, food, transport and medical services as part of government’s support through police to bolster training and professionalization of the Private Security Organisations not only for the election constables but all the Private Security guards in the country,” Byakagaba stated.
He described the private security organisations as ‘force multipliers’ who offer ‘service to the nation’ despite being private businesses, noting that by providing some of the logistics at its disposal, police will help lower cost of training of these private security guards which has been a hindrance to the program and also reduce pressure when some high-profile individuals seek police protection.
He added that private security organizations are an attachment to the Police and no wonder government deemed it fit to mandate them to operate and supplement the police force.
He directed that a committee be put up to look into the modalities of training private guards by Police starting with re-training of election constables and later the already serving and new private security guards.
Byakagaba’s announcement was greatly welcomed by the private security companies under their umbrella’s executive members led by Grace Matsiko who described the offer as a strategic intervention by Police and government in addition to some benefits the Police has been extending to enhance their capacity like procurement of weapons.
All the private security organisation members present thanked Byakagaba for the offer and guidance and called members to take advantage of the offer by submitting the numbers of election constables they would wish to take up.
They also noted that the election constables are mainly young and energetic girls and boys who were bound to be unemployed once the election season is over.
The meeting which handled other important matters related to private security organization was attended and addressed by the Police Director of Operations, AIGP Frank Mwesigwa, Director of Human Resource Development and Training, AIGP Moses Kafeero, the Director of Logistics and Engineering, AIGP James Aparo, Acting Commissioner of Police in charge Private Security and Firearms, Eddie Serujongi and other police officers.
