At the ongoing African Union Mechanism for Police Cooperation (Afripol), Uganda’s Inspector General Police Gen Kale Kayihura has been elected vice president of the powerful body at a three-day high-level meeting for African police chiefs in the Algerian capital, Algiers.
Gen. Kayihura who gave a keynote speech on the fight against transnational crime and terrorism was chosen as the first deputy of Algeria’s General Directorate of National Security (DGSN), General Major Abdelghani Hamel.
Kayihura will, in turn, be assisted by Nigeria’s head of Police Ibrahim Idris Kpotum as the second vice president with the third vice president coming from Chad.
At Afripol, Gen Kayihura suggested strengthening the operational and technical capacities of the African police services by developing texts, creating centers of excellence in training and judicial inquiry, and generalizing innovative practices and exchange of information and experience.
Kayihura whose tenure as IGP was renewed by President Museveni and approved by Parliament’s appointments committee this month has been police chief since 2005 after taking over from Gen. Katumba Wamala which makes him Uganda’s longest serving police chief.
Gen Kayihura returns to the country from Afripol on Tuesday, 16 May 2017.
