By Gad Masereka
Kampala: The Acting head of Private Security and Firearms Department in Uganda Police, Apollo Kateeba, on Friday 11 July said, cases of security guards killing civilians are as a result of lack of supervision.
His comments followed the death of Ainebyoona Mugisha who was on Tuesday shot dead by Moses Angoria, a security guard at Quality Supermarket in Naalya, Mukono District.
Meeting directors, operations managers, and supervisors of private security firms in Fort Portal on 12 July, Kateeba noted that the Naalya incident and many others would not have happened if the security guards were being supervised by the companies.
He said private security companies are supposed to have supervisors whose job is to regularly check the performance of the guards.
Kateeba added that most of the security guards are not trained enough to handle some situations warning that the department shall move to close all companies lacking requirements.
Some of the requirements he stated include certificate of incorporation, permanent and fenced offices, receipts indicating full payment of monthly salaries for the guards, and proof that hired guns from police are paid for.
Grace Matsiko, the National Chairman of Uganda Private Security Companies Association, admitted that there are loopholes in the training of security guards and their supervision.
He said that as an association, they are in advanced stages of establishing a training school for security guards.
Pascal Tugume, who represented Saracen Security Limited regretted the Naalya incident, saying that the firm is doing all it takes to ensure such incidents don’t happen again.
