MASINDI: In recent years, inadequate lighting has been a major challenge at the Police National Training School Kabalye, affecting evening sessions at the Uganda Police Force’s largest training facility.
With thousands of recruits on this expansive campus, the limited visibility after dark, has constrained learning schedules and posed a security risk.
This challenge is now being addressed, following the installation of solar-powered lighting units donated by Stanbic Bank Uganda, in a move aimed at improving conditions for both trainees and staff at the facility in Masindi District.
The solar lighting system, comprising more than 30 units worth UGX 100m, is expected to significantly enhance visibility, enabling safer movement, extended training hours, and more effective supervision during night operations.
Speaking at the handover ceremony, Chief Executive Mumba Kenneth Kalifungwa said the intervention was informed by the need to support critical national institutions with sustainable and practical solutions.
He said, “This initiative reflects our continued commitment to supporting key national institutions that underpin Uganda’s stability and economic growth. Reliable lighting is essential to ensuring a safe and conducive training environment, particularly for a facility of this scale.”
The initiative comes as Stanbic Bank is celebrating 35 years of supporting Uganda’s economic growth and complementing the government’s development goals, as part of the Standard Bank Group.
This milestone is also anchored in the bank’s Positive Impact Agenda, focusing on five strategic pillars; financial inclusion, job creation, infrastructure development, climate resilience, and corporate philanthropy.
Kalifungwa said, “Our operations as a leading financial institution are aligned to our purpose, ‘Uganda is our home, we drive her growth’. In continuing to live up to this ambitious promise, we have earmarked funds, up to a tune of UGX 1 trillion, to harness social economic transformation especially among women, youth and farmers.”
Dr. Kamya John, the senior commissioner of police, who represented the Inspector General of Police Abas Byakagaba, welcomed the development. He said improved lighting would directly impact training outcomes and security.
Byakagaba said, “This support will significantly improve the welfare and training environment of our officers, while strengthening security within the school, especially during night hours. Collaborations of this nature are critical in our efforts to build a more professional and responsive police force.”
The project also contributes to a broader plan by the police to expand solar lighting infrastructure across the training school, with a target of installing more than 200 units in the long term.
Kabalye Police National Training School was established in 2005 by the Ugandan government to meet key needs, including expanding training to address rising population and security demands, improving professionalism through better discipline, ethics, and modern policing standards, decentralizing training to reduce congestion in a few centers, and supporting both basic and specialized training for modern law enforcement.
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