This archive report was first published on 19 October 2019.
On October 19, 2019, Inspector General of Police Hilary Mutyambai issued a directive that has left crime operations in limbo. The directive requires all police officers to wear uniforms while on duty, effectively disbanding a special undercover unit known as SPIV.
According to sources, an emergency meeting was held last week to discuss the directive, which was largely questioned by officers attached to the SPIV unit. However, the directive was ultimately upheld, with only those serving in the Directorate of Criminal Investigations allowed to operate without uniforms.
Under the new directive, officers will only be allowed to wear plain clothes during operations if it is deemed necessary for the success of the operation. However, they must immediately revert to wearing uniforms after the operation is complete.
Officers attached to the SPIV unit have expressed safety concerns and questioned the logic of the directive. 'It makes no sense,' said one officer. 'The reason we do not wear uniform is to be able to blend in with the public and infiltrate crime networks and earn public trust to get information.'
Another officer expressed similar concerns, stating that the directive will expose them and jeopardise both their safety and operations. 'Busting organised crime will be impossible now. Some officers have been pursuing dangerous criminals and now this move will expose them for who they really are,' the officer said.
