MPs shocked by over 2,000 ‘ghost’ police officers on payroll

Members of Parliament’s Committee on Defense and Internal Affairs expressed shock after learning about the presence of over 2,000 ‘ghost’ police officers on the payroll.

The revelation came during an interface with the shadow minister for internal affairs, Betty Nambooze. She presented a report to the committee indicating the staggering number of phantom officers receiving salaries.

Nambooze raised concerns about the Police Force’s request to recruit additional officers before the 2026 elections. She argued that addressing the issue of ghost officers should be a priority before allocating funds for further recruitment.

“On the orders of the IGP Ochola, an audit was carried out by police and it revealed that in the Force, there had been 2,000 ghost police officers who continued to earn salaries. As he was handing over, IGP Kale Kayihura said that he had left a force of 46,000 personnel,” said Nambooze.

The shadow minister emphasized the need to focus budget allocations for the coming financial year (2024-2025) on critical areas. These include improving police housing and eliminating ‘ghost’ officers from the payroll. Nambooze argued that these actions should be taken before requesting additional funds for recruitment with a payroll already burdened by phantom personnel.

In response, committee chairperson Wilson Kajwengye directed the clerk to summon the internal affairs minister, Gen. Kahinda Otafiire, and police leadership for an explanation on the matter.

Written by Prossy Kisakye