A hungry, angry security force means insecurity [EDITOR'S OPINION]

When the minister’s murder happened, the nation seemed surprised. This, though, wouldn’t have been the case if people knew the intricate details of the lives of most of these bodyguards/security officers.

The monthly emoluments of the men in that green uniform are public knowledge.

A private officer of the UPDF, the lowest rank in the army, earns sh380,000 per month. While the ranks that follow earn between sh400,000 to sh2,000,000, including a full general.

The lowest police officers meanwhile earn between sh325,000 and sh425,000.

With families whose needs they have to take care of, most security officers find themselves in a tricky situation as they can’t afford the day’s needs.

The police men and women have resorted to extorting money from traffic offenders on our roads and being bribed to keep criminal cases silent, contrary to what their ethical practice requires them to do.

For the UPDF though, most basic needs like soap, water, sugar and accommodation et cetera are subsidised by Government. Maybe this explains why some have been patient for some time.

The killing of the minister by his body guard though seems to have sparked a revolution of sorts among security men in police, the army and those working for private security agencies.

On Friday, May 12 2023, a police officer identified as Ivan Wabwire No. 67029 shot and murdered Uttam Bhandari, an Indian national and the director of TFS Financial Services at Rajja Chambers in Kampala.

The day that followed (Saturday, May 13 2023), a private security guard shot dead a colleague who was a private guard too in Konge, Buziga, Kampala.

The poor pay and delayed pay of security officers means most can not meet their needs, and this is likely to morph into a national catastrophe if the matter is not controlled by Government.

A hungry and angry security force would mean insecurity if the men in that green uniform decide to use the only weapon in their hands – the gun – to fend for themselves.

The concerns raised by most Government ministers following Engola’s death could perhaps point to Government reawakening of what is at stake – their lives.

Government needs to seriously consider improving the welfare of these men in uniform if the NRM Government’s number one achievement – peace and security – is to be maintained.