By Julius Mugaga Tukacungurwa,Umoja Standard.
KAMPALA: Stakeholders in Kawempe Division have pledged renewed commitment to community-led security as Deputy RCC Kagenyi convened the inaugural Kawempe Division Security State Address and launched the Community Policing Strategic Plan.
The landmark engagement brought together the Uganda Police Force, Technical Staff, Elected Councilors, the Mayor, the Chief Magistrate, and leaders of Market Vendors, Taxi/Transport Operators, and Boda Boda associations in what officials described as a unified front against crime and disorder.
Dr. Emmanuel Sserunjoji-Kawempe Mayor, Hajjat Hanifah Karadi- Commander Nkuyege Think Tank & Deputy RCC KAGENYI after the Launch.
Speaking at the event, HAJJAT HANIFAH KARADI, Commander of Nkuyege Think Tank, underscored the centrality of grassroots structures in sustaining peace. “The RCC’s intent of establishing Community policing arrangements ‘Mayumba-Kumi’ is meant to strengthen the already established LCI security set-up to fully harmonize security in our area Kawempe,” Hajjat Karadi said.
She said the forum marked a turning point in how security is approached at division level. “The central theme of the address was unequivocal: ‘Security is a prerequisite for Sustainable Development.’”
Hajjat Karadi commended Deputy RCC Kagenyi for what she termed a proactive initiative that is redefining local governance. “I commend Deputy RCC Kagenyi for this proactive initiative. His commitment to teamwork, political mobilization, and reconciliation has been instrumental in fostering unity within Kawempe. As a result, our collective focus is now firmly shifting from divisive politics to development-oriented service delivery for the people of Kawempe,” she noted.
“As stakeholders, we remain dedicated to supporting all efforts aimed at strengthening security, governance, and socio-economic transformation in our community,” she added.
The Nkuyege Think Tank Commander also raised concern over bottlenecks in the justice system that she said undermine public trust. She expressed discontent with the overwhelming case backlog in the judicial arm, arguing that it widens the gap between citizens seeking justice and the courts.
“The way we want Kawempe to be a model division, there is need to expedite case handling matters to accelerate justice amongst our people, as the saying goes, ‘Justice delayed is Justice denied,’” Hajjat Karadi stated.
She further pointed to limited public awareness of court procedures as a barrier. “Additionally, there’s some ignorance of court processes amongst our grassroot people due to communication gaps. Sometimes people are not aware when their case is to be heard yet the same people registered in the book with their full details. The same was evident in NIRA when Ugandans were not informed on when to pick their National Identity Cards,” she said.
Hajjat Karadi called on residents to take the upcoming LCI elections seriously, linking leadership at the village level to national progress. She rallied participants to “vote wisely and keep peace in the upcoming LCI Elections, noting that lower leaders are a foundation of development so if poorly selected it’s a step back in the development of the country.”
Officials said the newly launched Community Policing Strategic Plan will operationalize Mayumba-Kumi structures to complement police work and enhance intelligence gathering across Kawempe’s parishes.
