More than 200 police recruits failed the one-year police training course which ended today (Friday) at the Police Training School in Kabalye, Masindi District.
A total of 5,100 Probation Police Constables and Assistant Inspectors of Police were recruited in August last year but slightly more than 4,800 trainees have completed the one year course.
A police source said the missing recruits developed health complications and they were discontinued.
In December last year, police spokesperson Mr Fred Enanga, confirmed that three of the recruits had died. These included two female trainees who lost their lives after 52 days in training due to over bleeding reportedly due to miscarriages.
A source at Naguru police headquarters said a special probe had been set up to understand how pregnant women were admitted for the training since it is against the recruitment procedures in all armed forces.
However, findings of the probe have remained scanty. The source said that one female trainee dropped dead in the fourth week while another female and male trainee died in November and December respectively.
Mr Enanga said he was still waiting for a report from the Police Training School commandant, Assistant Commissioner of Police Abubaker Ziwedde.
Nevertheless, Mr Enanga said that “it is not unusual for trainees to die during this kind of training”.
The police recruits started their training in July last year after an exercise which was marred with scandals.
At least 130 of the recruits were rejected moments after arriving at the school on grounds that they had fake academic papers and health documents.
Back then, the Inspector General of Police, Mr Martin Okoth Ochola, ordered for fresh scrutiny of all files of trainees and it was established that over 2,100 were above the required age.
Probation Police Constables were supposed to be between 18 and 22 years while Learner Assistant Inspectors of Police were supposed to be between 23 and 25 years.
With almost half of the trainees being over-age, the police’s policy advisory committee chaired by Mr Ochola resolved to tactically re-advertise 2,000 vacancies purposely to accommodate the 2,000 recruits who were on the verge of being turned down.
The age qualification was amended from 22 to 25 years for Probation Police Constables and 25 to 28 years for Learner Assistant Inspectors of Police (LAIPs).
