Uganda’s security forces are hoping to use the forthcoming Inter-Forces Sports and Shooting Championships to rebuild public trust and strengthen relations with communities amid concerns over brutality, excessive use of force and rough arrests.
The 18th edition of the biennial competition will be held in Gulu City from August 24 to September 5, bringing together personnel from the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF), Uganda Police Force, Uganda Prisons Service and Uganda Wildlife Authority.
Assistant Commissioner of Police Kituuma Rusoke, who unveiled the championships, acknowledged that isolated incidents involving security personnel have created friction with the public but said the agencies continue to enjoy broad public support.
“There have been isolated incidents that cause friction between the public and security forces. However, we continue to be appreciated for our role in protecting this nation, be it the military, the prisons, or the police,” Kituuma said. He said the competition would provide an opportunity for security personnel to interact directly with communities and strengthen relationships beyond their routine security duties.
Kituuma said members of the public would be encouraged to attend the games, interact with security officers and raise concerns affecting their communities.
The comments come amid recurring public concerns over the conduct of some security personnel, including allegations of excessive force during operations, rough arrests and confrontations involving personnel from different security agencies.
Asked about incidents of apparent friction between security agencies, including reported clashes between UPDF personnel and traffic police officers and instances where military personnel have reportedly gone to police stations to remove suspects from custody, Colonel Henry Obbo, the Deputy UPDF Spokesperson, said relations among the forces were improving.
Obbo attributed part of the improvement to the deployment of military police personnel to support traffic management alongside police officers.
Obbo also expressed hope that the Internal Security Organisation (ISO) would eventually join the Inter-Forces championships as its personnel numbers continue to grow.
Lieutenant Colonel John Andrew Kulu, head of the UPDF sports department, said the security forces also need to invest more deliberately in sporting talent instead of treating the competitions merely as recreational activities.
Kulu said the Inter-Forces championships have produced few athletes who have gone on to compete at national and international levels because sports have not been given sufficient priority within the forces.
He said officers often participate in the games before returning to their primary military responsibilities, limiting opportunities to identify and develop exceptional sporting talent. The 2026 championships will feature football, netball, athletics, darts, shooting and other sporting disciplines.
The participating agencies are the UPDF, Uganda Police Force, Uganda Prisons Service and Uganda Wildlife Authority. The competition was last won by the Uganda Police Force during the previous edition held at Kabalye Police Training School.
Organisers say hosting the championships in Gulu will allow the participating forces to engage communities while promoting cooperation and cohesion among the security agencies-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
