President Yoweri Museveni has instituted an operation to strengthen security around all Industrial Parks and factories in the country.
“I have ordered for an ‘Army Ordered Operation’ in all Industrial Parks. All security organs, including local security guards, will generally be treated like soldiers. If one loses a gun, he/she will have to face Court Martial. And the penalty is either seven-year imprisonment or execution,” he said.
He said that all factories will be installed with CCTV cameras pending the installation of centrally commanded cameras around premises.
The President was speaking to a delegation of over 120 Chinese investors at State House Entebbe to calm them over the scare prompted by the spate of robberies and thuggery attacks in the localities of their investments and factories notably around Kampala City Industrial Parks, Mukono and Luweero Districts.
President Museveni re-assured the Chinese investors that as some of them have lived in Uganda for a long time and appreciate that the country has been peaceful and will remain peaceful, they should not worry about the recent wave of colluded robberies and thuggery attacks where money has been robbed.
“To me, this is a simple problem to solve. It is not the problem we used to have in the past citing terrorism, rebel invasion in the Rwenzoris, insurgency in Northern Uganda and Karimojong cattle rustling. It is a problem that requires to be handled with technical devices to see, hear and smell, speed of getting to scene of crime and quick communication that can help to yield quick results,” he said.
Mr. Museveni noted that if the Police can be very vigilant and react to the criminals, it becomes a disadvantage to the thieves. He, however, cautioned the investors not to keep money in the factories’ premises.
“My suspicion is that there must have been internal collusion in these related incidences,” he said. He advised that if it so happens the investors ought to deal with the nearest police immediately using the quickest possible means of communication.
Mr. Museveni further assured the investors who have fallen prey to robbery of their cash, that the Police are seriously hunting for the criminals using all methods of detection to uproot the criminals.
He thanked the Chinese investors for choosing to come and invest in Uganda.
“Prosperity means two people. The producer and buyer of goods and services and becomes progressive and if the two key elements are big in numbers. The Chinese population of 1.3 billion people and the African population of nearly 2.5 billion people, will be good prosperity in partnership in the future,” he stressed.