Opus Justine: a Traffic Police Commander whose childhood challenges propelled him to the Police Service

Opus Justine (Superintendent of Police), is the deputy Traffic Police Commander in Kampala Metropolitan. He survived accidents from motorists several times on Kampala streets while doing his traffic policing work but still he has remained a happy and proud police officer.

The Scribe News is featuring him in the Personality of the Week to celebrate his life and achievements as a uniformed officer serving Uganda with a patriotic heart amidst the life challenges he has faced. Elizabeth Koshaba Nabuma caught up with him at the Central Police Station in Kampala to find out about his life.

The journey into police.

Opus’ childhood dream was to become either a police officer, a lawyer or a politician. The challenges he went through while growing up were later to help him form a final decision that was to shape his life until today.

“When I was still at university, my elder brother was arrested from Bukedea being accused of theft yet he was innocent. They jailed him for some time without listening to his plea or carrying out investigations to prove his innocency”, Opus narrated adding that the real criminals were never apprehended. This is one of the events that helped him to make a decision of joining police.

Opus has always wanted to help the marginalized people get justice. This explains his choice of career which was related to justice. The inspiration to help innocent people is what motivates Opus to help victimized suspects get criminal justice.

Born from bukedea, Opus is the last born of the 10 siblings. At 5 years, Opus’ family in Bukedea was attacked by gunmen and his father was nearly killed.

“My father was forced to lie down Infront of his children is a very shameful way”, Opus who seems to be traumatized by the event told the Scribe reporter.

That incident however seems to have opened a gateway for problems into Opus’ life.

Being looked after by his elder sister, Ms. Aumo Dinah, he recalls being one of the top school fees defaulters who had mastered the ‘art of dodging home’ whenever he was sent for school fees.

“I remember one day the headteacher found me in class after sending fees defaulters home. He caned me seriously” Opus narrated how he went home crying and how the the incident made his sister grieve the challenges they were going through. She however cleared the fees balance after two weeks and Opus was able to go back to school again.

The worst was however yet to come. After joining high school, his sister’s husband died and now his sister was left with a responsibility of looking after her 4 children and siblings amidst her meager income.

When he joined university, her sister could not raise funds to see him through university.

It was by God’s Grace that Opus completed his university education. “I followed the advise of a friend to apply for a scholarship from the church. I approached the All Saint’s Cathedral in Kampala where I found a lady, Ms. Muhumuza Gladys who guided me on the application procedures and helped fill the forms. After that I went back to my sister and we started praying. The church gave me a scholarship to complete my university education” Opus reveals.

His dose of problems were not over yet. The problems he went through however may have been a compass used by fate to direct his life journey to success, basing on the position he carries today and how he joined Police. With his bachelor’s degree in Community Adult Education, he saw an opportunity when his brother was arrested and denied criminal justice. This was an opportunity for him to decide that he should join police, further following his destiny unknowingly.

Today, Opus Justine is a Superintendent of Police serving as the Deputy Traffic Police Commander at Kampala Central Police Station.

During his career in criminal justice, Opus has served as OC. Traffic at Wandegeya, OC Traffic Mukono and OC. Traffic Kampala CPS.

He also served as the Regional Police Traffic Officer in Mbarara (Rwizi Region) and then to Lugazi as a regional traffic officer before he was posted to the Central Police Station in Kampala as the Deputy Traffic Police Commander for Kampala Metropolitan.

Opus Justine, the Kampala Metropolitan Traffic Police Commander is his office at the Central Police Station in Kampala

“The major challenge I have faced in police is too much expectations from the people we serve. People expect me to be there for them even when they are guilty. They forget that I have to follow the law which is the cardinal guide of my work”, Opus seems to wonder. He adds that being open minded and listening to people with truth has helped him handle most of these challenges.

But still this won’t prevent Ugandan motorists from attempting to hurt him. For instance, Opus recalls an incident where he was nearly knocked down by a motorist at Wandegeya junction.

“While on my duty, a motorist intentionally wanted to knock me down. If I wasn’t quick to jump I would be dead by now”, Opus recalled.

He holds his sister, Ms. Aumo Dinnah and Rev. Emanuel Akatukunda of the Evangelical Revival Ministries as his greatest inspirations.

He wants to be remembered as a fair and genuine person and in the next five years.

in the life of academia, he is already pursuing his Masters degree in Monitoring and Evaluation.