POLICE ACT.

"arrestable offence" means an offence which on conviction may be punished by a term of imprisonment of one year or more, or a fine of not less than 100,000 shillings or both;

"assistant commissioner" means an officer of the rank of assistant commissioner of police in accordance with this Act;

"assistant inspector general of police" means an officer of the rank of assistant inspector general of police;

"assistant superintendent" includes a cadet assistant superintendent;

"attested member" means a police officer, regardless of rank, who has completed the training course, taken the requisite oath and been listed in the Force as a member;

"code" means the disciplinary code of conduct established under section 44;

"commissioner of police" means an officer of the rank of commissioner of police;

"constable" means a police officer below the rank of corporal;

"Constitution" means the Constitution of Uganda;

"deputy inspector general" means the Deputy Inspector General of Police appointed under article 213 of the Constitution;

"force" means the Uganda Police Force established by article 211 of the Constitution;

"inspector general" means the Inspector General of Police appointed under article 213 of the Constitution;

"inspector of police" means an officer of the rank of inspector and includes an assistant inspector of police;

"legal officer" means a police officer designated as a legal officer under this Act;

"local government" means the local councils established under the Local Governments Act;

"magistrate" means a magistrate appointed under the Magistrates Courts Act;

"Minister" means the Minister responsible for internal affairs;

"officer-in-charge of police" means a police officer not being below the rank of inspector appointed by the inspector general to be in charge of a police station or a police unit in an area;

"police appeals court" means the highest disciplinary court established by section 51 of this Act;

"police authority" means—

(a) in relation to the force, the police authority established by section 8;

(b) in relation to local administration police, the administration of the area in which that force is established;

"police council" means the police council established by section 10;

"police officer" means any attested member of the police force;

"police unit" means a police establishment or formation with an officer in charge or with an officer in command at or within a district;

"President" means the President of Uganda;

"private security organisation" means a private security organisation registered under the Companies Act;

"region" means any area of Uganda declared by the inspector general to constitute a regional or extra regional police command;

"regional commander" means a police officer appointed by the inspector general to be in command of the police in any region or extra region;

"regional police court" means a disciplinary court established at the regional police headquarters or at the force headquarters;

"responsible officer" means—

(a) in the case of a senior police officer, the regional police commander;

(b) in the case of a subordinate police officer, the district police commander;

"senior police officer" means an officer of or above the rank of assistant superintendent;

"subordinate police disciplinary court" means a police disciplinary court lower than a regional police disciplinary court;

"subordinate police officer" means a police officer of or below the rank of inspector;

"superintendent" includes senior superintendent, senior assistant superintendent and assistant superintendent;

"unit commander" means the officer-in-charge of a district or a police unit within a district.

PART II
ESTABLISHMENT AND FUNCTIONS.

2. Establishment of the force.

There is established a force to be known as the "Uganda Police Force".

3. Composition of the force.

The force shall be composed of—

(a) the regular Uganda Police Force;

(b) the Uganda Police Reserve established under section 66;

(ca) the local administration police force established by section 67A;

(d) any other person appointed as a member of the force under this Act.

4. Functions of the force.

(1) Subject to the Constitution and this Act, the functions of the force are—

(a) to protect the life, property and other rights of the individual;

(b) to maintain security within Uganda;

(d) to ensure public safety and order;

(e) to prevent and detect crime in the society;

(f) subject to section 9, to perform the services of a military force; and

(fa) to cooperate with civilian authorities and other security organs established under the Constitution and with the population generally;

(g) to perform any other functions assigned to it under this Act.

(2) Subject to section 6(1)(c), a member of the force is authorised to carry arms in the performance of his or her duties.

(3) No person shall arrest, detain or institute criminal proceedings except as is provided for under a written law or the Constitution.

PART III
FORCE COMMAND.

5. Inspector General and Deputy Inspector General.

(1) The Uganda Police Force shall be under the command of the Inspector General of Police, whose office shall be a public office.

(2) In the performance of his or her functions under subsection (1), the Inspector General shall be subject to and act in accordance with the laws of Uganda except that on matters of policy the Minister may give directions to the Inspector General, and the Inspector General shall comply with those directions.

(3) There shall also be a Deputy Inspector General who shall assist the Inspector General in carrying out his or her functions.

(4) The Inspector General and the Deputy Inspector General shall, subject to the Constitution and to this Act, be appointed by the President.

6. General powers of the Inspector General to make standing orders.

(1) The Inspector General may, on the advice of the police council and in consultation with the Minister, make standing orders in respect of the force regarding—

(a) the constitution, organisation, structure, ranks, responsibilities and command in the force;

(b) the enlistment, training, promotions, transfers and discharge of police officers;

(d) health, housing, equipment, welfare and recreation facilities;

(e) the force accounts and office practice;

(f) specialised units, their responsibilities and command;

(g) any other matters which may promote efficiency and discipline on the part of a police officer in the discharge of his or her duties.

(2) The Inspector General may, in consultation with the police authority, make standing orders relating to pay, leave and conditions of service of members of the force and any other matters he or she deems fit.

(3) The Inspector General may delegate any of his or her functions under this Act—

(a) to the Deputy Inspector General; or

(b) to a senior police officer or any other officer appointed under this Act.

7. Regional and district force command.

(1) Subject to the direction of the Inspector General, the command of the force in a region or a district shall be vested in the regional commander or the district commander, as the case may be.

(2) In this section, "district" includes any area declared by the Inspector General as a police division, and "district commander" includes a divisional commander.

8. Establishment, composition and meetings of the police authority.

(1) There is established a police authority.

(2) The police authority shall consist of—

(a) the Minister responsible for internal affairs as its chairperson;

(b) the following members—

(i) the Attorney General or his or her representative;

(ii) the Inspector General of Police;

(iii) the Deputy Inspector General of Police;

(iv) a senior officer in charge of administration at the headquarters of the force;

(v) three other persons appointed by the President.

(3) The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry responsible for internal affairs shall be the secretary to the police authority.

(4) The quorum of the police authority is five.

(5) The police authority may regulate its own procedure.

9. Functions of the police authority.

(1) Subject to the Constitution, the functions of the police authority are—

(a) to advise the Government on policy matters relating to the management, development and administration of the force;

(b) to advise the President on the appointment of—

(i) the Inspector General of Police;

(ii) the Deputy Inspector General of Police;

(iii) Assistant Inspector Generals of Police; and

(iv) Commissioners of Police.

(c) to recommend to the Public Service Commission, the appointment and promotion of police officers above the rank of inspector of police, up to the rank of assistant commissioner of police;

(d) to determine the terms and conditions of service in the force;

(e) to hear and determine appeals from decisions of the police council;

(f) to determine, by statutory order, the ranks, precedence, command and seniority of the force;

(g) to empower the force to perform the services of a military force.

(2) The police authority may appoint a committee from among its members to assist it in the performance of any of its functions and may assign to it such functions, subject to such conditions and restrictions, as the authority may think fit.

10. Police council.

(1) There is established a police council.

(2) The police council shall consist of—

(a) the Inspector General of Police as its chairperson;

(b) the following members—

(i) the Deputy Inspector General of Police;

(ii) the Director of Criminal Investigation;

(iii) the Director of Special Branch;

(iv) the Director of Administration;

(v) the Director of Operations;

(vi) the Director of Local Administration Police;

(vii) the Regional and Extra Regional Police Commanders;

(viii) the officers at the headquarters of the force responsible for the following—

(A) finance;

(B) human resource management;

(D) community affairs;

(E) policy research and planning;

(F) inspectorate;

(G) legal affairs;

(H) traffic and road safety;

(I) communications;

(J) force transport;

(K) logistics and supplies;

(L) force estates;

(M) medical services;

(N) operations;

(O) mobile police patrol unit;

(P) private security organizations;

(Q) non human resource;

(R) firearms;

(S) criminal investigations administration;

(T) identification bureau;

(U) collation;

(V) production; and

(W) private security;

(i) an officer of the rank of assistant superintendent of police;

(ii) an officer of the rank of inspector of police;

(iii) three noncommissioned officers; and

(d) the officer responsible for the administration of the force who shall be the secretary.

(3) The quorum of the police council is 22 persons.

(4) The police council may co-opt any other relevant officer to sit as a member of the council.

(5) The police council may regulate its own procedure.

11. Functions of the police council.

(1) Subject to the Constitution, the functions of the police council are—

(a) to recommend to the Public Service Commission, the recruitment, appointment and promotion of police officers up to the rank of inspector of police;

(b) to exercise disciplinary control over all police officers through the police courts;

(d) to formulate terms and conditions of service of members of the force subject to approval by the police authority;

(e) to formulate and establish standards of recruitment and training within the force;

(f) to determine the types and quality of equipment and supplies to be procured by the force;

(g) to formulate and advise the police authority on the policies of the force and ensure the implementation of that policy;

(h) to ensure efficient organisation and administration of the force; and

(i) to ensure that the force is of a national character and composition.

(2) The police council may appoint a committee from among its members to assist it in the performance of its functions under this section and may assign to it such functions subject to such conditions and restrictions as the Minister may think fit.

12. District police committees, their functions and composition.

(1) There shall be established a district police committee in each district.

(2) The functions of a district police committee are—

(a) to advise the police council on appointments, promotions and other personnel matters;

(b) any other duties assigned to it by the police council.

(3) A district police committee shall be composed of—

(a) the district police commander as its chairperson; and

(b) the following members—

(i) the district special branch officer;

(ii) the district criminal investigation department officer;

(iii) the officer in charge of prosecutions in the district;

(iv) the officer in charge of the local administration police;

(v) three noncommissioned officers appointed by the regional police commander; and

(vi) any other co-opted member.

PART IV
APPOINTMENTS, PROMOTIONS, RECRUITMENT, SERVICE AND DISCHARGE OR TERMINATION OF APPOINTMENTS.

13. Delegation by the President of power of appointment under the Constitution.

(1) For the purposes of article 172 of the Constitution, the President may, under clause (3) of that article, delegate to the authorities specified in subsection (2), the powers of the President necessary to enable those authorities to exercise the powers of appointment conferred on them by this Act.

(2) The authorities referred to in subsection (1) are—

(a) the police authority; and

(b) the Inspector general.

(3) Where the President has delegated any of his or her powers as described in subsection (1), the Public Service Commission shall have no functions in respect of the exercise by the relevant authority of the powers so delegated.

14. Procedure and form of application.

(1) The police council shall establish the procedure and form of application to be adopted in the appointment of police officers of or below the rank of inspector of police.

(2) The police authority shall establish the procedure and form of application to be adopted in the appointment of senior police officers to the force.

15. Retirement.

(1) Unless otherwise expressly provided in this Act, a member of the force—

(a) shall retire from his or her office on attaining 60 years of age; or

(b) may retire after 20 years continuous service in the force before the age of 55 years.

(2) An appointing authority responsible for the appointment of any police officer may require the officer to retire in the public interest on grounds of proven—

(a) inefficiency;

(b) misconduct.

(3) An appointing authority responsible for the appointment of a police officer shall require the officer to retire on medical grounds if the officer is declared by a police medical officer or a police medical board unfit for further service in the force due to medical, mental or physical incapacity.

(4) An officer affected by subsections (2) and (3) shall have a right to be heard.

(5) A police officer shall qualify for pension on the attainment of 45 years of age if that officer has served for an uninterrupted period of at least 10 years.

16. Service in the force on contract.

(1) A police officer who has retired under section 15(1)(a) or (b) may apply to serve in the force on contract for a continuous period not exceeding two years at a time.

(2) An application under subsection (1) shall be made—

(a) in the case of a police officer of or above the rank of assistant superintendent of police, to the secretary of the police authority;

(b) in the case of a police officer of or below the rank of inspector of police, to the Inspector General.

(3) The Minister may, by regulations made under section 73, prescribe the terms and conditions of employment under subsection (1).

17. Resignation by police officers.

Subject to section 15, a police officer may not terminate his or her service with the force except on completion of a minimum of fi

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