By Robert Segawa
The Central Police Station (CPS) Kampala Field Force Unit (FFU) Commander, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Ombworoh Benson, has retired from the Uganda Police Force after 36 years of service, expressing disappointment over what he described as unfair treatment and missed promotions during his long career.
ASP Ombworoh, who officially retired on August 11, 2026, alleged that his efforts in the arrest of a suspect linked to the killing of Muslim clerics in Mayuge District were not recognised, claiming that another officer was instead presented for recognition and promotion.
According to Ombworoh, he personally led the operation that resulted in the arrest of the suspect at a mosque in Lwanika, Mayuge District.
“During my stay in Mayuge, I myself am the one who arrested the person in the mosque. He was lying down facing down, wearing a white T-shirt, a Muslim cap and blue jeans, and he had a Quran,” Ombworoh said.
He alleged that when President Yoweri Museveni sought to recognise the officer responsible for the operation, his name was not presented.
“Instead of producing me as the person who arrested him, they produced a different person, SSP Nickson Agasirwe, who took advantage of my benefits,” Ombworoh claimed.
The claims were made by Ombworoh and represent his personal account of the events during an exclusive interview with Trusted News Uganda.
Ombworoh said he believes the recognition would have earned him promotion to the rank of Superintendent of Police, but alleged that he was denied the opportunity.
He retired at the rank of Assistant Superintendent of Police, a position he said he attained in 2016.
“I was promoted to the rank which I have retired on in 2016. It is so unfortunate on my side to see that my counterparts whom I joined with are retiring as Commissioners of Police and others as Assistant Commissioners, but me, with all the efforts I wholeheartedly put into my work and my positive attitude towards duty, I am going as a mere ASP,” an emotional Ombworoh said.
He further claimed that he missed promotion on three occasions under circumstances he described as unclear.
Ombworoh said his police career saw him rise through several ranks, serving as a Corporal for 10 years, Sergeant for eight years, Assistant Inspector of Police for four years, Inspector of Police for two years and ASP for 10 years.
Years of sacrifice
The retiring officer also reflected on the social and financial challenges faced by police officers, particularly during the earlier years of his service.
He said the nature of police work, including handling demonstrations and security operations, often denied officers adequate time to socialise with their families and communities.
Financially, Ombworoh recalled earning as little as Shs2,000 as a Constable at a time when a mattress cost about Shs12,000.
“That meant I had to work for about six months to buy a mattress,” he recalled.
He said that when he became a Corporal, his salary rose to about Shs11,000, forcing officers of his generation to endure difficult economic conditions.
“Today, we can consider ourselves part of the working class, but for some of us, time has already caught up with us,” he said.
Fighting cattle raiders and rebels
Among the most difficult periods of his career, Ombworoh singled out the years between 2004 and 2005, when he was deployed to confront armed cattle raiders who crossed from Kenya into Uganda to steal livestock, kill residents and burn homes.
“That is the part I will never forget because all the time it was a matter of life and death,” he said.
Ombworoh joined the Uganda Police Force on February 5, 1990. He underwent police and military training and passed out in mid-1991 as part of the seventh intake at Masindi Police Training School, which was later relocated to Kabalye.
After completing his training, he was retained as an instructor until 1998 before being transferred to the then Mobile Police Patrol Unit (MPPU), which later evolved into the Field Force Unit.
Because of his background as an instructor, Ombworoh was involved in training personnel, including during the period when heavier weapons were introduced into the unit.
He later served in Kafu before being deployed to Kyegegwa, where security personnel had been deployed following intelligence that Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) rebels were planning to raid Kyegegwa Health Centre for medical supplies.
Ombworoh said the assignment was successfully handled and some of the rebels were put out of action.
His deployments also took him to Makerere University during a period when students were being killed.
He served at the university for close to a year before being transferred to Buwama, where police were battling a series of robberies along the Kampala-Masaka Highway.
According to Ombworoh, the security situation later stabilised.
In March 2003, he was sent for a Sergeants’ course after serving as a Corporal for 10 years. He completed the course in July of the same year and was posted to Kabarole, where he again participated in operations against the ADF.
In March 2004, he was transferred to Bukwo District, where he was deployed to deal with cross-border cattle raids carried out by armed Pokot groups.
He said that during his deployment, no livestock was stolen and no lives were lost in the area under his responsibility.
Ombworoh later served briefly at Naguru before being transferred to Masaka in September 2005.
During the Kabaka riots, he said he was recalled to Kampala from Mityana to help reopen the Busega Roundabout, which had been blocked by rioters.
He remained in Mityana until 2010, when he was promoted to the rank of Assistant Inspector of Police and subsequently transferred to Buikwe District.
Mayuge operation
In March 2014, Ombworoh was transferred to Kanoni in Gomba District before later being posted to Iganga.
While in the region, he was assigned to take charge of an operation in Mayuge District following a series of killings targeting Muslim clerics.
He said he led an operation that resulted in the arrest of Ali Kabambwe at about 4am inside a mosque in Lwanika.
Kabambwe is accused in connection with the killings of Muslim clerics, including Sheikh Dr Kadiri Muwaya, who was a Shiite Muslim leader. The allegations against him remain subject to the ongoing judicial process.
Ombworoh maintains that his role in the arrest was overlooked when the operation was later recognised.
Final years at CPS Kampala
In 2016, Ombworoh was transferred to CPS Kampala, although his stay was initially brief following the restructuring and redeployment of the FFU from Kampala Metropolitan Police.
When the need arose to redeploy FFU personnel within Kampala, Ombworoh was recalled and appointed Division FFU Commander at CPS Kampala.
He held the position until his retirement on August 11, 2026.
During his tenure at CPS, he handled numerous political, social and public-order situations within Kampala’s Central Business District.
He said he was proud that, throughout his command, many difficult situations were handled without loss of life or destruction of property.
Despite the pride he takes in his service, Ombworoh said he leaves the police force with unresolved disappointment over the promotions and recognition he believes he deserved.
After 36 years of service across some of Uganda’s most challenging security deployments, the veteran officer said his greatest regret is retiring at the same rank he attained a decade ago.
“I have missed my promotions three times under unclear circumstances,” he said.
ASP Ombworoh’s retirement brings to an end a policing career that took him from training recruits to counter-insurgency operations, anti-cattle-rustling missions, highway security operations, riot control and command of the Field Force Unit at CPS Kampala.
