The Minister of Internal Affairs, Hon. Maj. Gen. (RTD) Kahinda Otafiire on 3 August 2024, officiated at the graduation ceremony of senior Uganda Police Force and Uganda Prisons Service officers who had completed the a 1 year Senior Command and Staff Course at Police Senior Command College, Bwebajja.

The graduates earned five prestigious certificates, that included the Senior Command and Staff Course certificate, Institutional Leadership and Management Course certificate from the Uganda Management Institute (UMI), Anti-Money Laundering/Countering Terrorism Financing Training certificate from the Financial Intelligence Authority, Positive Peace certificate from the Institute for Economics and Peace, and Mediation & Conflict Transformation certificate from

Makerere University.  

The graduands will further earn Masters degrees upon completion of their project work, in Peace & Conflict Studies, Strategic Security Studies, and Diplomacy and Global Studies from Makerere University and

Nkumba University.

Throughout their training, they have been exposed to both theoretical and practical approaches to learning, interacted with various resource persons, policy analysts, and practitioners, and visited projects to gain hands-on experience.

Minister of Internal Affairs, Maj. Gen (Rtd) Kahinda Otafiire, encouraged people to refrain from speaking without knowledge. He urged an increase in the number of officers pursuing further education and emphasized the importance of continuous learning for those they serve. Gen. Otafiire called on people to respect their leaders and for leaders to serve the people well and urged the graduates to apply what they have learnt and avoid wasting the investment the Government has put in them.

He also called on the leaders to increase the number of trained officers from 83 to 200 and promised to provide all necessary support at a ministerial level.

The Inspector General of Abbas Byakagaba thanked the graduating officers for their service and sacrifice, acknowledging the demanding training they underwent. He emphasized the importance of teamwork, saying: 'You are now like a family forever, take advantage of this to support one another in the fight against criminality.'

The IGP urged them to: 'Maintain integrity, honesty, and positivity, even in difficult situations.' He encouraged them to: 'Use their acquired skills to improve policing and contribute to the transformation of the Uganda Police Force.' The IGP expressed confidence in their abilities, saying: 'Go forth, make a difference, and help achieve Vision 2040 and NDP III.

Ms. Mary Centenary, Assistant Commissioner of Prisons, on being awarded as the most disciplined participant during the course. She consistently demonstrated exceptional, leadership, discipline, and professionalism, setting a high standard for her peers. Her exemplary conduct, behavior and commitment to excellence earned her this well-deserved recognition.

Congratulations to Ms. Mary Centenary, Assistant Commissioner of Prisons, on being awarded as the most disciplined participant during the course. She consistently demonstrated exceptional, leadership, discipline, and professionalism, setting a high standard for her peers. Her exemplary conduct, behavior and commitment to excellence earned her this well-deserved recognition. FELICITATIONS