The Inspector General of Police, Abas Byakagaba, has said Uganda's security agencies remain pro-people and committed to protecting citizens before, during and after the general elections, insisting that recent security deployments helped maintain calm rather than intimidate voters.
Byakagaba said the security situation across the country has remained stable since polling day on January 15, attributing the calm to what he described as seamless coordination among security agencies and a people-centred approach to policing.
He made the remarks on Sunday while appearing on NBS Television's Spotlight UG programme.
"The security outfits we have in Uganda are pro-people. Any additional security to the Police Force is an extra assurance to Ugandans. That's why people came out to vote. I was seeing where there were our patrols. There was seamless interaction between our security forces, be it on our patrols," Byakagaba said.
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His comments come amid criticism from sections of the Opposition, particularly the National Unity Platform (NUP), which has raised concerns over what it described as heavy deployment of security personnel across the country during the elections.
Some Opposition leaders have claimed the visible presence of security forces intimidated voters and discouraged participation, while others accused security agencies of using violence against their supporters and polling agents.
Byakagaba dismissed the allegations, saying the deployments neither inconvenienced voters nor interfered with the electoral process.
"You would, for example, see a patrol group with vehicles, and you would see boda bodas on the sides, people on foot, and you would not see any disturbance to them," he said.
He added that the security presence instead reassured the public and boosted confidence during the voting period.
"If anybody says the deployment of security could have caused worries to the public, I think that's not true. It galvanized the confidence of people that security was abound everywhere, and it continues to be the same. That's why we have a calm situation," Byakagaba said.
The police chief reiterated that security agencies will continue working together to ensure peace and stability as the country moves through the remaining stages of the electoral process, including the announcement of final results and the resolution of any post-election disputes.
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He said the priority of security forces remains the protection of life and property, as well as maintaining law and order, while respecting the rights of citizens.
