More than 2,000 "ghost" police officers are on the payroll, shocking MPs

When they discovered that there were more than 2,000 "ghost" police personnel on the payroll, members of the Parliament's Committee on Defense and Internal Affairs expressed their dismay.

The information was disclosed during a conversation with Betty Nambooze, the shadow minister for internal affairs. She reported to the committee on the startling quantity of wages being paid to "phantom officers."

Nambooze expressed reservations regarding the request made by the Police Force to hire more officers prior to the 2026 elections. She maintained that funding for more hiring should not come before resolving the issue of ghost police.

"An audit conducted by police, on the directive of IGP Ochola, found that there were 2,000 "ghost" police officers in the Force receiving wages. IGP Kale Kayihura that he had left a force of 46,000 people while he was turning over, according to Nambooze."

The shadow minister stressed the importance of allocating funds for important areas in the upcoming fiscal year (2024–2025). Among them include enhancing police housing and removing "ghost" cops from the force. Nambooze suggested that these measures ought to be implemented prior to soliciting extra funding for hiring while the payroll is already weighted down by nonexistent staff.

Wilson Kajwengye, the committee head, responded by giving the clerk instructions to call in Gen. Kahinda Otafiire, the minister of internal affairs, and for an explanation on the situation from the police leadership.