From residences, personal offices, to public buildings, places of entertainment,places of worship, markets, supermarkets, malls, taxi parks, bus terminals, etc, must be protected. The primary responsibility is on the owners/proprietors, with support from the Police and sister security agencies. Have a mechanism in place to know who reside, work, or visit the premises. Accordingly, put in place effective access control measures at
buildings/venues/events. First,there should be capable guards (who are alert, 24/7) at gates, or all entry points to check every body accessing the premises. Secondly, there should be Metal detectors(walk through doors, hand held detectors, etc), dogs at all entrance points to detect possible intrusion of explosive materials e.g. bombs. Thirdly, security lights, alarms, etc,should, if they have not been placed along non-porous perimeter fences, be installed. Hotels, malls,supermarkets, markets such as kikubo, public buildings with underground parking should put in place additional guards/other security measures.
4. In particular, Bus and taxi owners and operators, working with Police and the other security services,should put in place enhanced access control, and internal security measures both in the parks, as well as entering and within the vehicles while on the move. Vehicles should be subjected to checks before entry into any premises and/or parking yards. Vehicles should be searched and its underside scrutinized using angled mirrors. Where there are multiple entrances, and exits,particularly, the Old Taxi Park in Kampala, either ensure effective access control through all of them or minimized them so that traffic flow is through one entry/exit point.
5. Further, we strongly urge all owners of public places such as places of entertainment, markets, churches,shopping malls concerts, sports and social gatherings to strengthen their premises security and also involve the Police in the early stages of planning and preparations of the events.
6. Educational institutions should implement the basic standards for safety and security provided to them by the Ministry of Education. In particular, they should at all times ensure that visitors to the premises are properly searched and entrances manned by trained security guards on a 24-hour basis.In addition, ensure that the premises are kept neat and clean. All rubbish containers, excessive stock and equipment must be removed. This will decrease the possibility of an “out of place” object which may suddenly appear, and could possibly be an explosive such as abomb.
7. To eliminate possible “bomb shelters/hideouts”, all rubbish cans and containers should be quickly removed from premises, especially, in passages, toilets, and in public places. All office cupboards and entry panels for wiring and plumbing must be locked away, when not in use.
8. We have set up security inspection teams to ensure that premises adhere to these security measures. In articular, we request proprietors and managers of the following categories of premises to expect visits from our teams: Places of entertainment and social gatherings,bars, hotels, supermarkets and malls, taxi parks and bus parks, places of worship, hospitals, stadia, camping sites,restaurants, public buildings, and markets. Please accord them the cooperation that you gave us during the last festive season. However, I must, also, warn you that those that are found to be unsatisfactory, we shall have no choice but to take measures to alert members of the public and take appropriate action within the law to secure the public.9.
Police patrols/Spot checks
. The Police will enhanceits visibility through foot, motor cycle, and motor vehiclepatrols. We shall conduct spot checks, and request foryour cooperation, and understanding in case of anyinconvenience.10. Otherwise, the above measures notwithstanding, wecall upon members of the public not to panic because thatis what the terrorists want. You should go about yourbusiness, normally, only more alert, and securityconscious. Together we shall prevail.
Lieutenant General Kale KayihuraInspector General of Police
26th April,2013
