By Our reporter
A Probation Police Constable has collapsed dead during a physical fitness test in Amuru district.
Uganda Police Force (UPF) recently announced the recruitment of 5000 more constables to beef up its thing manpower capacity.
However, according to Jimmy Patrick Okema, the Aswa River region police spokesperson, Morish Odoch of Mutema village, Pailyec parish, Layima sub-county in Amuru district died after running for one kilometer.
“We have lost one candidate Odoch Morish R/O of Mutema village Pailyec parish Layima S/c in Amuru District during physical fitness test of 5kms run of the PPCS interview. He had just run 1and half km,” Okema said in a statement.
The regional police spokesperson said the deceased’s body has now been transported to Gulu regional referral hospital mortuary for postmortem.
According to police, interested candidates to join the force as constables submit their applications at their respective or divisional police headquarters where they are taken through interviews that include among others, fitness tests.
It is at this stage that Odoch died after running for 1.5 kilometers.
In his handover report, the former Inspector General of Police, Gen.Kale Kayihura in 2018 said the Police Force had 44600 officers but an audit done by his successor, John Martins Okoth Ochola indicated that the number was less.
It was also found out that many of the officers had either deserted, retired, died or natural caused or killed during operations prompting the force to seek to recruit at least 10,000 constables to fill the vacuum left behind.
Whereas in the past the force wanted those who join as constables to have at least attained a UACE certificate, the qualifications were lowered to UCE (senior four) certificate after reports indicated that those with senior six certificates were using the force as a springboard to other careers.
With the current 38000 officers that the force has currently, the ratio is 1:850.
The force has consistently argued that the current numbers are not enough to conform to the UN policing standard of 1:500 ratio where a single police officer is supposed to man 500 people.
