My engagement with police officers – Frank Gashumba

Economic, social rights activist and motivational speaker Frank Gashumba engaged new passed out Uganda Police officers at Masindi. He told them of what people expect and why they should be proud and work hard for the best of this country.  Here is his speech;

My second day engagement with the IGP and Police Officers at Kabirye Police Training School in Masindi, I informed Police Officers that they should never fear to start, every person you admire on this Planet started small, every General we see in the army was once a private, every Pope you see was once a student, every big company you see today at once time it started out Small. You can be what you want to be as long as you believe in yourself and as long as service to your communities comes first. I told Police officers, as a person who has interacted with Students at all levels in Uganda from different backgrounds, their number one problem is self esteem and the fear to be talked about.

The Uganda Police established what they call the Balaza, were both Junior and Senior Officers engage each other in frank talk. The IGP gave me an opportunity to speak to these Officers. I told them a Police Officer has a calling, it is not about making money, it’s about making people’s lives safe, theirs communities and protecting the children and when they mistreat citizens, they elude public confidence in return, citizens will look at them like their enemies in the process, they will hide vital information from them regarding criminals, I told them to serve Uganda and not to serve the ruling Party. All Ugandans must be protected equally. They don’t need ranks or titles to serve Ugandans,  what they need is the passion for their work. Leadership is not a title, it is a behaviour. If they are to serve communities, they should forget about titles.

Inspirational leaders never believed in titles; Jesus Christ, Nabbi Muhammad, Martin Luther King, Mother Theresa had no titles.

When time came in for questions. A big number of them raised an issue of salary and that they are poorly paid which is very true to me, I assured them that we in the Civil Society shall continue championing the need for lowly paid Public Servants to get better wages, we shall engage Government to copy counties like Kenya by establishing the salary revenue commission. Why should an S.6 drop out in Parliament earn UGX 25M and yet an over qualified Police Officer or Doctor earns less?

I also tasked them to inform MPs were they hail from to bring it to the floor of Parliament so that it can be discussed and a solution formed.

I urged them to develop a culture of savings and commit a percentage out of their salary and save it and then at an appropriate time, invest it into something outside Police e.g in your village. I urged them to be smart, when you are shabby, you spoil the name of Police and it’s Head. They should always dress to impress, they should wear like a prospect and not as suspect. I urged them to desist alcohol and to give birth to few children and that the people we admire most have few children. I also urged them to shan Tribalism and embrace one another respective of where they come from.

Lastly for those going to Somalia for Peace Keeping, I told them that our identity is the Passport of the Republic of Uganda. They should put our Country first not their tribes, when they are being attacked by Alshabab, they don’t attack tribes, they attack a Police Officer from Uganda.

Sisimuka Uganda Teri Kulinda. changing Mindsets, Creating Self Belief, Transforming Lives & Communities.