Spouses of Ugandan police help force cut down procurement expenditure

The Ugandan police force is massively saving on cost of clothing for its personnel. This is thanks to the spouses of the police officers who have taken up the job of producing the uniforms for their husbands.

The police spouses who started this venture some three years ago, work from a police garment factory in the Ugandan capital, Kampala.

A first of its kind in the country, the business was set up to offset procurement challenges faced by the force.

But the police service’s procurement budget is not the only beneficiary in this endeavour.

“This job has motivated me because the way I came is not the way I am now, because I am able to assist my husband in other parts financially. Even my children, I can take care of my relatives. I am also paying some of my sisters and brothers with the little money I am getting,” said Aweko Prosca one of the police spouses working at the factory.

With a production capacity of 400 uniforms daily, the factory with a staff strength of 200, caters to 45,000 police officers. It has enabled the force to cut costs as they previously spent $27 on each uniform. Now the service spends only $23 per uniform.

But how does the production work ?

The women operate on a conveyor belt system. A piece of clothing goes through 14 tailors before it gets to the finishing point and is then sent to the sorting room.

The factory is looking to expand its operations.

“Our aim is, we want this factory to make money. How? After satisfying our needs as Police, we intend to go outside and get market and make (uniforms) for maybe for the Prisons, Army even regional security agencies in other countries,” said Godfrey Bagirana, Director of Uganda Police Force Logistics and Engineering.