Attacks on schools: Security issues fresh guidelines

The security team in Mukono District has issued new guidelines following a series of attacks on schools that left one teacher dead and several properties stolen.
In a space of two weeks, unknown assailants raided St Johns Education Centre, Kyampisi, Kasawo Secondary School and St Andrew Kaggwa SS Latifah Junior School. They stole property and cash and also killed a teacher, Joseph Miiro. 

Miiro, 30, was teaching Luganda and Geography and a warden for boys at St Andrew’s Secondary School. 
During an emergency security meeting with various school heads and directors at St. Joseph’s Secondary School, Naggalama on Tuesday, Ms Fatumah Nabitaka Ndisaba, the Mukono Resident District Commissioner, issued new guidelines to all schools.
Ms Ndisaba, who is also the head of security in the district, ordered school administrators to stop keeping cash at school when they lack adequate security personnel. 

“All these attacks were planned and some of your staff knew about them, this business of keeping large sums of money in the bursar’s office has to stop,” she said.
Ms Ndisaba also ordered school heads and directors to always allow security teams to access their premises and attend security meetings whenever they are invited. 
“It’s the government’s role to guard you and your property, but how can we do that when you are denying us access to your premises? Ms Ndisaba asked.

During the meeting, Mr Peter Egesa, a warden at St Joseph’s Secondary School Naggalama, blamed the insecurity on youths he said acquired military training but have not been deployed. 
“I doubt whether you [the government] have records of all boys trained as Local Defence Unit personnel and the like who got military skills and were later chased from the Forces. These are the boys that team up and terrorise communities.” Mr Egesa said.
In response, Ms Ndibasa said all trained security personnel are usually absorbed into the army. 
She also urged schools and businesspeople to hire private security personnel instead of relying only on the army and police. 

“You must hire private security guards as the government works out a training programme for all those assigned to man schools.  We also expect every boarding school to have an alarm system. If there is any attack, the nearby police post can easily know and reinforce,” she said.
The Regional Police Commander Kampala Metropolitan East Joab Wabwire, also cautioned school proprietors against hiring drunken security guards.

Wakiso District Senior Education Officer, Ms Janat Nakabugo Ssali, said schools with weak security measures were being targeted by thugs in search of cash and valuable property such as computers.  “Schools should engage professional security companies with guns for the safety of both learners and property,” she said, during the swearing-in ceremony of prefects at Winsa Day and Boarding Primary School in Wakiso District on Sunday. 
She said schools should also improve on vigilance as some workers are perpetrating crimes.