Police officers in Uganda could be held criminally liable for failure to act on intelligence tips by members of the public or provide feedback on cases filed by victims of crime if a proposed law is adopted.

Also liable will be officials of the National Environment Management Authority (Nema) and the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA).

Equally, members of the public could fall afoul of the law for omissions such as not displaying their house or plot numbers or discharging domestic waste from their premises into the road or drainage system.

The offences and accompanying penalties form part of a Bill drafted by a private citizen that was this week submitted to the Minister for the Presidency for adoption as the government moves to amend the Kampala Capital City Authority Act 2010.

Presidency Minister Frank Tumwebaze was not available for comment but The EastAfrican confirmed that his office had received the Bill.

Sources at the First Parliamentary Council, the government body responsible for drafting legislation, said Yasini Omari had wanted to submit the Bill to them but was advised to channel it through the KCCA since, as an individual, he could not.

Among others, Yasini Community Policing Bill 2014 seeks to create a legal framework that will regulate the conduct of crime preventers working under the community policing initiative and also address corruption among law enforcement agencies.

Mr Omari is the chairperson of Muyenga Village Council and co-founder of community policing initiative in the area. He said while community policing can play a role in averting crimes such as terrorism, child sacrifice and drug and human trafficking, rampant malpractices among law enforcers, such as negligence of duty, have undermined public confidence in the police.

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“It is not uncommon to find police officers simply not acting on information supplied by the public and, in some cases, officers have connived with offenders to frustrate victims of crime,” said Mr Omari.