Tanzania has upped the number of high ranking female police officers setting a record since the country’s independence.
For the first time in over 100 years of the history of the National Police Force, eight female Deputy Commissioners of Police have been sworn-in to assume senior leadership roles in the public security sector.
Previously there used to be only one female Deputy Commissioner of Police, but now there are eight of them, following the recent promotion move by President Samia Suluhu Hassan.
The Tanzanian Police Force was essentially a male-dominated regiment but now things seem to be slowly but surely changing.
In fact, observers are already predicting the coming of the country’s first female National Chief of Police in the near future.
“This has never happened before since the country’s independence and in the entire 105 years since the establishment of the Police Force,” Inspector General of Police (IGP) Camillus Wambura pointed out.
IGP Wambura said President Samia has so far promoted more than 35,000 police officers – both male and female – in less than three years, which is an unprecedented number.
The promotion of the senior female police officers is part of wider reforms being implemented by President Samia to the country’s criminal justice system seeking to reform the Tanzania Police Force and improve the legal administration from the grassroots.
The President appointed a committee to recommend improvements to the country’s criminal justice system last year led by retired Chief Justice Othman Chande and former Chief Secretary Ambassador Ombeni Sefue.
The committee has already submitted its recommendations to the government and President Samia pledged to implement the much-needed reforms.
The reforms being implemented also include reviewing the legal, regulatory and administrative frameworks of law enforcement agencies, courts and other agencies in the criminal justice system.
Promotion of women in the Tanzania Police Force to senior leadership positions is seen as a step in the right direction towards the wider plan of criminal justice reform.
Commissioner of Police Suzan Kaganda, the highest ranking female officer in the Tanzania Police Force, welcomed the promotion of the 8 female DCPs.
“This is a major milestone… The Tanzania Police Force had only one female Deputy Commissioner of Police before the new appointments,” remarked CP Kaganda, who is in charge of Administration & Resource Management in the police force.
The Tanzania Police Force, which was established in 1919, is currently experiencing the highest numbers of promotions of officers in its entire history under President Samia, according to Kaganda.
She said the 8 female Deputy Commissioners of Police were among a total of 27 new DCPs promoted by the President to the new senior police ranks.
In the promotions, 127 Assistant Commissioners of Police (ACPs) – both male and female – were also promoted to the rank of Senior Assistant Commissioners of Police (SACPs).
Kaganda said the promotion of the unprecedented number of senior female police officers will boost morale and efficiency of the police force.
“This is a big morale boost for them because they are now seeing that the Tanzania Police Force is moving forward,” said Kaganda.
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