Africa-Press – Uganda. Security at various border points across the country has been beefed up following the latest spate of terror attacks in the country.
At the border points, more men in uniform have been deployed to check the travellers coming into and leaving the country as well as their luggage.
The extra security deployment has also been witnessed in several cities and towns.
In eastern region, security agencies said they have also stepped vigilance at various porous border points.
On Wednesday, the Elgon region police spokesperson, Mr Rogers Taitika, confirmed the heightened security at the border and called for public cooperation.
“We have stepped up security at the border to keep our country safe. Security is checking every passenger who enters the country,”Mr Taitika said.
The UPDF 3rd Division spokesperson, Capt Edrin Mawanda, said they have set up patrols on various ungazetted routes along the border to deal with intruders.
The eastern border stretches from Namayingo District up to Karamoja and possesses many porous entry points that can potentially be used by criminals to infiltrate the country.
In Namisindwa District, there is heavy security deployment at Lwakhakha border, with police and the army using sniffer dogs to check all vehicles and passengers entering the country.
On Tuesday, the State minister for Defence, Mr Jacob Oboth-Oboth, challenged security operatives deployed at the different border posts across the country to issue accurate reports that would guide the government in coming up with safety measures.
Mr Oboth said some security operatives deployed at the various border posts were feeding the government with false intelligence reports, hence making the country unsafe.
He was on Tuesday meeting border security chiefs in Tororo District.
“We totally want to be at peace with all our neighbours. Therefore, let’s put Uganda above ourselves by being patriotic. Why should you receive a bribe to allow entry for an enemy who comes to kill thousands of people? This is not acceptable,” he warned.
The minister said at some border points, security operatives are being compromised by some wrong elements to allow them enter the country to carry out their subversive activities.
Mr Oboth-Oboth said government plans to close down all non-gazetted routes into the country as part of the strategy to deny entry to terrorists as well as withdraw intelligence officers from the borders and deploy drones.
According to the Tororo Resident District Commissioner, Mr Nickson Owole, all community gates through which foreigners sneak into the country were recommended for closure after they posed a security threat to the country.
“We revoked the decision after redesigning the gate to allow only pedestrians to use it and above all, after the government installed security cameras that we think will help to detect who is entering and exiting the country,” he said.
Mr Owole noted that during one of the district security committee meetings recently, Uganda Revenue Authority officials reported that through the small gates, more than 30 tonnes of cargo were being smuggled into the country, leading to loss of revenue.
Minister Oboth-Oboth, however, tasked security operatives at the border to scale up surveillance and intelligence gathering so as to keep the country safe from subversive activities.
Meanwhile in Soroti City, an on-spot assessment of the busy corridors and streets in the town showed a sense of laxity, with limited presence of security personnel. At the newly constructed Soroti Main Market, police officers were seen seated on pavements with no serious security measures and checks being implemented. The same was witnessed at bus stops.
Mr Oscar Ageca, the police spokesperson for East Kyoga, cautioned people to avoid crowded areas.
In western region, many border points such as in Rwenzori and Kigezi sub-region, heightened security patrols were visible on Wednesday.
Checkpoints
In Fort Portal City, police had mounted checkpoints on all roads heading to the city centre. After Mpanga market on Fort Portal- Kampala road, all vehicles and boda bodas are first checked before they enter the city.
Another checkpoint was set up at Kichwamba at the border of Kabarole and Ntoroko districts. The other was at Karugutu Trading Centre in Ntoroko District to check people heading to Bundibugyo District at the Uganda-DR Congo border.
At Link Bus terminal in Fort Portal City, two security guards were seen at the entrance with metal detectors checking all travellers.
At Uganda Pentecostal University, students are thoroughly checked before they are allowed to enter the university premises.
Mr Rogers Mbabazi, the Fort Portal City commissioner, said they have held several security meetings with the owners of the public places such as schools, churches and markets to ensure more vigilance.
The Ntoroko RDC, Mr Mishac Kawamara, said since fighting broke out in the neighbouring DR Congo about 10 days ago, they have increased deployment at their border point where they have been able to arrest some suspected ADF rebels.
Since May, Ntoroko District has been receiving refugees from DR Congo and last month, security said 11 suspected ADF rebels disguising as refugees were arrested.
In Kisoro, the Resident District Commissioner, Mr Peter Mugisha, said security deployment has been heightened throughout the district as well as the border points with Rwanda and DRC.
“Because of the bomb blasts in Kampala, we have also stepped up security at our border posts with Rwanda (Chyanika) and the Democratic Republic of Congo at Bunagana to ensure those wrong elements do not enter our country undetected,” Mr Mugisha said.
In West Nile, counterterrorism police officers have been deployed at Elegu border to back up a handful of officers that had been manning the border.
Mr David Ongom Mudong, the Aswa river regional police spokesperson, confirmed the security deployment.
“What we are doing now is that every piece of luggage is being checked in order to avoid the possibility of some foreigners sneaking in with war materials,” he said. In Arua City, the police and army have stepped up motorised patrols, especially at the designated border points of Odramacaku, Lia and Vurra. They have also deployed detectives at taxi and bus parks in order to avert cases of terrorism.
The porous borders with DR Congo are a danger to the security of Arua City.
In the aftermath of the twin bombings in Kampala, the Arua resident city commissioner, Ms Alice Akello, wrote to different public institutions, calling for extra vigilance.
“Arua City, being a beehive of economic activity for the region and high crime rate, there is a need to beef up security in the city and border areas,” Ms Akello said.
Arua City attracts traders from all parts of Uganda, DR Congo and South Sudan. Some of the traders or settlers use legal routes while others use illegal ones.
The regional police community liaison officer, Mr Collins Asea, said: “In the past, Arua was peaceful, but these days we have cases of youth who have formed different groups and are causing havoc. The youth should desist from being lured into criminal activities but engage in economic activities for survival.”
Growing Trend
ISIS claimed responsibility for the Tuesday bomb blasts at Central Police Station (CPS) and Parliamentary Avenue, both in Kampala, which has cumulatively killed seven. Two people died in last month’s two explosions in Kampala’s Komamboga outskirt and on a bus in Mpigi, bringing the total of lives lost in the four attacks to nine.
Compiled by George Muron, Alex Ashaba, Felix Warom, Joseph Omollo, Tobbias Jolly Owiny, Yahudu Kitunzi & Robert Muhereza
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