Shocking revelations have been made by the Wakiso District Health Department about the deteriorated sanitation at Nabweru Police Station.
The inspectors have given a one-week ultimatum to the Nabweru to construct a new toilet facility, or else the station will be closed.
While describing the throes of a nightmare, Eng. Robert Kagwire, the Wakiso District acting Health Inspector said police officers at the station have resorted to dumping human wastes anyhow and there is also offensive stench and flies in the area-something that has compromised sanitation at the station .
The only toilet at Nabweru Police station which was in use got filled up last year and is currently closed.
As a result, officers and their family members, who reside at the police barracks, currently walk to neighboring homes to answer the call of nature while others use toilets at Nabweru Health Centre. Some of the officers ease themselves in polythene bags and deposit the waste near the filled up pit-latrine which also serves a dumping site.
“This is terrible. How can a police station spend that long without a sanitary facility?,” Dr Kagwire asked while participating in a community service exercise commonly known Bulungi bwansi at Nabweru Sub- county headquarters on Wednesday, adding “The station is ever busy and one wonders where all those people go to answer the call of nature. We are only giving them one week to build a new pit-latrine or else we shall shut down the station.”
A male police constable, who spoke to local media on condition of anonymity for fear of being reprimanded, said it is common to find human waste littered around the station, which wasn’t the case before the toilet got filled up.
When they learnt about Dr Kagwire’s visit, police officers at the station instructed suspects who were in police cells to remove human waste which was wrapped in polythene bags and dumped near the filled up pit-latrine
Ms Cotilida Nandutu, the criminal investigations officer at Nabweru Police Station slammed Dr Kagwire for going to the station premises with journalists to expose the unbecoming dirty environment they operate in.
She also denied to have authorised anybody to take the suspects to clean the dirty pit-latrines .
Ms Evelyn Alinda, the officer in charge of Nabweru Police Station said she has been working at the station for one year and she personally uses toilets at the Nanbweru Health Centre to answer the call of nature .
“It is true that sanitation at the police is bad and I have written several letters to concerned authorities in the area like Nansana division mayor over the matter, but nothing has been done,” said Alinda.
Nansana Municipality Speaker, Moses Kalungi Kasule asked Dr Kagwire not to close the police station, saying plans were underway to construct a new pit-latrine at the station.
Last year, the district health department closed 10 health centres due to lack of sanitary facilities.
Many police officers across the country are living in deplorable conditions as most of the structures where they reside are wearing away. Some police posts and stations operate in rented structures and sometimes they are threatened with eviction due to unpaid rent arrears.
