Police has described as “indiscipline” the decision by the District Police Commander of Buyende district, ASP Muhammad Kirumira to resign from service.
Kirumira on Wednesday announced that he had resigned from Police for what he called trumped up charges and witch-hunt by the Police administration. He is currently facing charges of; neglect of duty, discreditable or irregular conduct, torture, extortion, corruption, bribery, unlawful arrests and excessive use of authority.
The Police disciplinary tribunal alleges that he committed the offences when he was in-charge of Nansana Police Station in Wakiso District and Old Kampala as division police commander in 2013 and 2014 respectively.
However, Kirumira says he is being falsely accused and questions why he has become a target when several other police officers have broken the law with impunity.
But the Police Force has responded to Kirumira’s decision to resign which they say was a gross violation of the code of conduct that guides the Police officers.
“ASP Kirumira can not and should not resign from the Uganda Police through a WhatsApp message or through granting interviews in the media,” Police said in a statement issued by Police Spokesperson, Emilian Kayima.
Police further says that what Kirumira did “is an act of gross indiscipline amounting to scandalous conduct” which “cannot be tolerated by Uganda Police Force”.
Kayima said in the same statement that any Police officer seeking to resign is required to follow the established procedure which demands one to write to the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
Once the matters raised by the officer are discussed by the relevant authorities including the Minister of Internal Affairs, only then can a decision be reached, Kayima adds.
Then, the officer is granted an opportunity to leave, is issued a discharge letter and the Inspector General of Police issues a certificate of service.
Quoting Section 31 of the Police code of conduct, Kayima says that disciplinary measures taken against an officer may include interdiction and suspension among others.
Police has warned that “officers who get excited over nothing and breach the code of conduct” will face the full wrath of the law.