Four Olympics athletes including gold medalist, Peruth Chemutai, have been promoted to higher ranks within the Uganda Police Force where they serve, in recognition of their athletic excellence in the recently concluded Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
However, a year later, long-distance runner and gold medalist, Joshua Cheptegei is yet to be elevated to his rank of Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) for which he was recommended in October 2020.
Last year, after he broke the 5,000m, 10,000m and 5km world road, world records on the international stage, Cheptegei was recommended by the Police Advisory Committee (PAC), for promotion from the rank of Inspector of Police (IP), to his next rank of ASP.
This was in October pronounced by the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Okoth Ochola, who is the Chairperson of PAC, the Police Authority mandated to appoint and promote gazetted officers.
Cheptegei’s coach, Inspector of Police, (IP) Njia Benjamin, too was recommended for promotion from the rank of IP to ASP around the same time.
A statement by Police spokesperson, CP Fred Enanga on Monday states that; “The Inspector General of Police (IGP) continues to fast track the promotion of Inspector of Cheptegei Joshua Kiprui and that of his coach, Inspector of Police, (IP) Njia Benjamin, from the rank of Inspector of Police to Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), with the Police Authority, which has the mandate of appointing and promoting gazetted officers”.
According to the statement, steeplechase runner, Peruth Chemutai, has been promoted from Police Constable to Inspector of Police. In August, Chemutai became the first Ugandan woman ever to win an Olympic medal.
Long-distance runner, Mercyline Chelangat, was promoted from Assistant Inspector of Police to Inspector of Police while marathon runner, Immaculate Chemutai, was promoted from Corporal to Sergeant.
Sprinter, Shida Leni has also been promoted from Police Constable to Corporal.
The IGP hailed the athletes for their “historic win and achievements for the country and the Police Force as well”.
“They are therefore being rewarded for the great success, pride and jubilation they brought to the institution and the country,” the statement added.
Enanga told Plugged on Tuesday that Police doesn’t have the power to actualize the promotion of Joshua Cheptegei.
“There is no formula. The recommendations are before the Police authorities. So, the Police authority has to forward the list of names to His Excellency the President. These are processes that are very clear”
“At the level of Police, we don’t have any powers over the authority,” Enanga added.
On return from Tokyo, medalists Cheptegei, Chemutai and Jacob Kiplimo were each handed a new vehicle by President Yoweri Museveni in appreciation of their performance.
At the same event, the President demanded that sportsmen who win Gold, Silver and Bronze at the Olympics, Common Wealth and Continental games be paid monthly stipends immediately on top of clearing their arrears dating to 2012.
Having acknowledged the small budget that government allocates to sports activities, Museveni proposed low cost interventions including recruitment of talented sportsmen and women into the Forces (army, police, prisons and wildlife) as a means of earning the bare-minimum salary per month.
Rank promotions is one way of boosting these athletes’ income.
