President Museveni has promoted 1638 gazetted police officers acting on advice of the Police Authority.

The newly promoted officers are at the ranks of Senior Commissioner of Police, Commissioner of Police, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Senior Superintendent of Police, Superintendent of Police and Assistant Superintendent of Police.

The promotion was announced on Friday by the Internal Affairs Minister, Gen Kahinda Otafiire in his capacity as the chairperson of the Police Authority.

"In exercise of the powers vested in him under section 9(i) of the Police Act, the president of Uganda and on advice of the Police Authority has appointed on promotion 1638 gazetted police officers," Otafiire said.

The 1638 adds to the 773 who were promoted last year.

Speaking during the function, the Internal Affairs Minister said when the new leadership came into office, they found glaring gaps in the promotion system of the police that he said has since been streamlined to see such a big number of officers promoted in a short time.

Promotion depends on your performance. We don't promote you because you are a woman or man but because you are an efficient officer. In the police we don't have men or women but police officers are equal," Otafiire said.

Last year's promotion was the first for gazette officers between the rank of Assistant Superintendent of Police and Assistant Inspector General of Police since 2016 during the tenure of Gen Kale Kayihura as the Inspector General of Police.

The latest promotion comes a few weeks after another promotion of 9312 subordinate officers by the Inspector General of Police.