The Uganda Police Force intends to spend Shs 42 billion on internet and other related services next financial year. This translates to Shs 3.5 billion per month or Shs 116 million per day.
This detail is contained in the Second Budget call circular issued last week by Secretary to the Treasury Ramathan Ggoobi.
It shows that the force will take 58% of the government’s total expenditure on internet services next year, which is Shs 72 billion.
The Ministry of Defence is expected to spend Shs3.2 billion, while the Judiciary has been allocated Shs3.1 billion for internet services.
Other notable allocations include the Ministry of Works and Transport at Shs2.269 billion, the National Information Technology Authority Uganda at Shs2.267 billion, and the Uganda Revenue Authority at Shs901.3 million.
The Ministry of Finance itself has budgeted Shs795.1 million for internet services, while the Directorate of Public Prosecutions will spend Shs613.9 million. The Ministry of ICT and National Guidance has been allocated Shs563.8 million, the Office of the President Shs412.5 million, the Parliamentary Commission Shs394 million, and State House Shs211.8 million.
At the lower end of the scale are institutions such as Nebbi General Hospital, which has budgeted Shs1.7 million for internet, Kyenjojo Hospital at Shs1.8 million, and the Uganda Development Corporation at Shs1.9 million.
The size of the police internet budget is likely to raise questions, especially at a time when government agencies are under pressure to cut costs and improve service delivery.
In recent years, the force has expanded its use of digital systems, including the National CCTV Command Centre, digital number plate tracking systems, online reporting tools, biometric systems, and internal communication platforms.
Some say maintaining 24-hour connectivity for CCTV cameras across the country, data centres, forensic laboratories, and district police stations may partly explain the high figure.
However, critics may still question whether Shs 42 billion is justified, particularly when compared to the internet allocations for critical sectors such as health and justice.
Even the Ministry of Defence, which also operates sensitive communication systems, has an internet allocation that is less than one-tenth of the police budget.
