Uganda Prisons denies militarisation with new uniform

The new UPS uniform was officially unveiled yesterday, during the Independence Day celebrations held in Busia District 

It features a bold camouflage pattern with shades of orange, maroon, brown, and beige with a sizable UPS badge on the left arm. It however, maintains the old UPS maroon beret and boots.

Frank Baine, the UPS spokesman, told Pulse Uganda on Thursday that the new uniform will not be rolled out for the entire UPS force.

“The old uniform remains the main one, this new one is for specific activities,” he said.

“It will be used by the Safety and Security Unit. These are the officers that escort hardcore criminals, those going into the field like farms, and also the officers who escort VVIPs.”

The new uniform, he said, is being manufactured by Nytil in Jinja.

Public opinion

Baine also responded to some of the concerns raised by Ugandans on social media, about the militaristic look of the uniform.

“I saw some saying that we are trying to militarise the service, but that is not true because the clothes cannot change the mindset of a person,” Baine explained.

“The reactions overall have been mixed. There are those who prefer the old one, others said it is over-decorated…. normally you will always get divergent opinions but the majority seemed to like it."