Assistant Commissioner of Police Rusoke Kituuma has urged police commanders in the Savannah Region to embrace digital and social media as an essential tool for communicating the work of the Uganda Police Force. The Uganda Police Force is among the government institutions that have come under sustained public scrutiny on social media, with critics raising concerns over alleged case mismanagement, police brutality, corruption, and other forms of misconduct.
Journalists have also on several occasions accused police commanders of withholding information and failing to respond promptly to media inquiries, a practice they say hampers timely and accurate reporting on certain cases. Kituuma said that the Uganda Police operates in an increasingly digital communication environment where social media has significantly shaped public perception, often amplifying negative narratives about the force.
Kituuma said that communication has changed today, whereby everybody is now a communicator due to Internet penetration, and the force is bound to communicate effectively. “We need to bring our officers up to speed with the current communication trends, understand how communication can become a tool of operations, and ensure that we communicate in a way that upholds public trust. That is precisely why I’m here,” Kituuma said.
Kituuma made the remarks while meeting more than 180 police commanders and Officers in Charge (OCs) of police stations from the Savannah Region at Luwero Central Police Station in Luwero town council.
He added that the training is particularly timely following the recent recruitment of new policemen who are now being deployed across the country. According to Kituuma, the recruits need to understand how to communicate professionally and effectively in today’s information environment. The Savannah Region is among the regions that recently received newly recruited police officers.
“These officers are expected to help us cascade this information by teaching fellow officers how to interact in the information space. The number of gatekeepers has reduced, and the police, like all other agencies, is part of that communication space. It is talked about, and it also has to communicate,” he said.
Kituuma said the Police leadership had resolved to actively participate in the communication space by addressing information gaps and equipping officers with the skills needed to navigate the rapidly evolving media landscape. He, however, noted that communications should be done by only assigned officers and under the guidance of the commanders as per guidelines.
During the closed-door meeting, police officers expressed reservations about ACP Kituuma’s directive, saying many officers are deployed in remote stations where internet connectivity is either limited or unavailable, making it difficult to submit information to the Police Spokesperson’s office on time. Some officers also cited a lack of smartphones and mobile data as major challenges, arguing that these constraints hinder their ability to transmit timely reports.
Other commanders also cited a poor mindset by officers on the ground who take a long time to process scenes of crime and send reports to share with the media. The officers further raised concerns about members of the public who record crime scenes and share the footage on social media, saying such actions can compromise ongoing investigations and interfere with the collection of crucial evidence.
It remains to be seen whether ACP Kituuma’s directive will be fully implemented amid the persistent logistical and technological challenges facing officers as they adapt to the new communication requirements-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
