The newly promoted Assistant Inspector General of Police –AIGP Richard Edyegu has said that many police officers had lost hope for any kind of promotion while serving in the police force.
While speaking on behalf of the 254 police officers who were recently promoted and pipped this morning at Naguru Police Headquarters, AIGP Edyegu said some of the colleagues had waited to be promoted for more than 30 years and had totally lost hope.
Police last held promotions six years ago during the reign of Gen Edward Kale Kayihura as Inspector General of Police. But President Yoweri Museveni exercising his powers as commander in chief of armed forces last week promoted 773 police officers to the rank of Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) to AIGP.
Out of the 773 elevated officers, the reigning IGP, Martin Ochola, invited all those that are within Kampala for official pipping. AIGP Edyegu who had also spent nearly 10 years on Senior Commissioner rank, said the new promotions have rejuvenated and oxygenated their zeal for police work.
“A new chapter has been written for each of us. You have fired us, you have reenergized us, you have rejuvenated us, you have transfused and oxygenated us. You have wiped the tears from some of us who had lost hope. There is someone who has been Inspector for the last 30 years,” AIGP Edyegu said.
AIGP Edyegu also appreciated subordinates of all promoted police officers because they do the donkey work while the commanders get the credit. He said if the subordinates were not cooperative, the police authority would perhaps have had no basis for the assessment of their performance in order to recommend them for promotion.
IGP Martin Okoth Ochola reminded the promoted officers that their elevation is an explanation that hard work and commitment can lead someone to greater heights. Ochola told the decorated officers to exhibit temporary leadership in their respective jurisdictions.
AIGP Edyegu urged all promoted officers to always honour their families because they absorb the work related stress. He said wives, husbands and children do great things in the life of serving officers and in so doing, they indirectly serve the police force.
The Director of Human Resource Management, AIGP Jesse Kamunanwire, said officers should forget the science explanation that goes ‘the higher you go the cooler it becomes’ but accept that in the forces it is “the higher you go the hotter it becomes.”
AIGP Kamunanwire said every step a security person takes comes with elevated responsibility. They must at all times be the first responders and guardians of subordinates under their newly acquire ranks.
