Construction of Ubungo district police station underway - Mpina

DAILY NEWS Reporters in Dodoma

Deputy Minister of State in the Vice-President Office (Union Affairs and Environment) Luhaga MpinaCONSTRUCTION of the Ubungo District Police station at Luguluni area is underway to accommodate the needs of the police station of the district status, the National Assembly was told here yesterday.

Deputy Minister of State in the Vice-President Office (Union Affairs and Environment) Luhaga Mpina said the building that houses the police station not only is too small to serve the district needs but also sits on the road reserve.

He was answering a question by John Mnyika (Kibamba - Chadema) who decried the harsh environment under which the police were working in the district and demanded to know the government plan to address the situation.

The deputy minister said Kimara police District was established following the formation of the Dar es Salaam Special Police Zone under the police force reforms programme in 2006 to improve efficiency and take defence and security services close to wananchi.

But, due to limited financial resources, the police have since been operating from the tiny Mbezi Luis police post building, which is on the road reserve. Mr Mpina said the government has been improving the working environment for the law enforcers, subject to fund availability, saying just recently the station was given a Toyota Landcruiser to intensify security in the district.

In improving remuneration and motivating the men and women in uniforms, the deputy minister said, the government has increased the monthly ration allowance from 180,000/- to 300,000/-, upgraded their salary scales as well as providing all soldiers with medical insurance cover.

Meanwhile, the government has dismissed as baseless claims that there are some retired police officers who for the past 20 years have not been paid their benefits.

Ally Saleh Ally (Malindi—CUF) in his question, claimed that the government has abandoned the retired officers, questioning why the government was unwilling to conclude the stalemate for all those years.

Mr Mpina alleged retirees have no genuine claim to the government, arguing that they were paid all their dues as per their gratuity contracts, which they themselves opted willingly