Efforts to establish police posts in every sub-county across Northern Karamoja are facing delays due to a shortage of land, despite a presidential directive aimed at strengthening security services closer to communities.
The sub-county policing model, rolled out under the directive of Inspector General of Police Abbas Byakagaba, seeks to establish fully functional police stations in every sub-county to improve response to cattle raids, illegal firearms, and land disputes that have long affected the Karamoja sub-region.
However, district intelligence officers say the implementation remains slow because 44 out of the 64 sub-counties in Northern Karamoja still do not have permanent police stations. They warn that the absence of nearby police services continues to leave many residents struggling to access justice and security assistance.
In some communities, residents must travel long distances to report cases. In Kanawat Sub-county in Kotido District, for example, police operations were withdrawn after the community failed to provide land for a permanent station. Mt. Moroto Regional Police spokesperson Mike Longole said police had initially rented premises at Kanawat Trading Centre, but the costs became unsustainable.
“We were renting space at Kanawat Trading Centre, but it became too costly. Now residents have to walk all the way to Kotido Central Police Station to report cases,” Longole said. He appealed to local leaders and communities to support the initiative by identifying and donating land for police infrastructure. According to Longole, the lack of land is now the biggest obstacle to extending territorial police presence in the region.
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Despite the shortage of permanent police facilities, Longole said Anti-Stock Theft Unit (ASTU) detachments are operating in all sub-counties and continue handling police work, including receiving complaints and making arrests. He noted that joint operations involving ASTU, the Uganda Police Force, and the UPDF have helped reduce insecurity in the region, especially cattle theft and armed violence that for years disrupted livelihoods in Karamoja.
The police force is also planning to strengthen manpower once 10,000 police recruits complete training. Longole explained that some existing posts currently operate with only two or three officers, but the plan is to increase staffing levels to at least 12 officers per post. Under the sub-county policing model, each station is expected to have 18 personnel, motorcycles for emergency response, radio communication equipment, and dedicated public contact lines to improve accessibility.
To support the initiative, the Office of the Prime Minister, through the Development Initiative for Northern Uganda (DINU), partnered with the Uganda Police Force to construct seven community police posts with staff housing in districts including Abim, Kotido, Moroto, Napak, and Nakapiripirit. Each facility includes office space, detention cells, solar power systems, water harvesting facilities, a community borehole, and motorcycles to support mobility in remote areas.
Karamoja remains one of the priority regions under the sub-county policing model due to the history of cattle rustling, illegal firearms, and recurring land conflicts, all of which continue to affect livelihoods and government development programs in the region-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
