New Kampala police spokeswoman Racheal Kawala speaks out on tough task ahead

Inspector General of Police Abbas Byakagaba has rung in major changes in the force’s public engagement, appointing Superintendent of Police (SP) Racheal Kawala as the new Kampala Metropolitan Police (KMP) Public Relations Officer (PRO). 

Kawala is taking over the reins from Senior Superintendent of Police Patrick Onyango, who moves back to Police Headquarters.

Kawala, who previously served as the Wamala Region spokesperson where she was deployed during the initial Covid-19 lockdown in 2020, acknowledged that she was stepping into one of the most demanding communication roles in the country.

"I want to extend my appreciation to the IGP entrusting me with this responsibility and giving me this opportunity as a woman to serve in the position," she said

She also commended the journalists for their positive working relationship during her tenure in Wamala.

Battling the Tide of Fake News

While reflecting on her time in Wamala, Kawala admitted the shift to Kampala is a step up in intensity. "Working in Wamala region has not been bad. I know that where I am headed, the task might be much greater compared to where I was but with God on my side I will manage," she asserted with determination.

Some of the challenges ahead, she explained, lie in the modern communication landscape dominated by social media and fake news. 

She detailed the constant struggle to control the narrative, noting that misinformation often spreads unchecked before the police can issue an official statement.

"At times when we come out to speak out about an incident, we find that the social media channels have already spread their own versions which are often false," Kawala lamented. 

The public, having already consumed these sensationalised accounts, then becomes resistant to facts. 

"By the time you speak, people expect you to speak what they want to hear, and when you produce the fact, they accuse you of telling lies."

As the new face and voice of KMP, Kawala’s immediate task will be navigating this volatile environment, ensuring the police service’s communication is not just factual, but also timely and trusted by a skeptical public increasingly influenced by the speed and reach of online commentary.