Kampala to be installed with over 3000 new CCTV cameras soon

A total of 3233 new closed circuit television cameras(CCTVs) are set to be installed in various areas of the greater Kampala Metropolitan area in addition to the ones already in place, police have said.

Following the gruesome murder of AIGP Andrew Felix Kaweesi as he left his home in Kulambiro in March last year, President Museveni ordered for the an expedited procurement of CCTV cameras to beef up security in major towns and busy highways

He noted that the cameras would help in identifying lawbreakers in a bid to curb crimes in the country.

Police spokesperson Emillian Kayima on Monday told a weekly news conference that a total of 5552 cameras are set to be installed in various points countrywide, with Kampala Metropolitan area taking the lion’s share of the equipment.

“We shall have in total 5552 cameras countrywide with Kampala Metropolitan taking 3233 cameras on 1248 sites,”Kayima said.

There have been ongoing earthworks all over the city to which the police mouthpiece said these are some of the preparations for the CCTV camera project.

“On July 16, we started with laying fiber in Kampala Metropolitan and so far we have covered 20 kilometres of the planned 1300.In other towns and cities, municipalities and highways, we shall make use of the existing national back borne infrastructure done by the National information Technology Authority (NITAU).”

Speaking at Kaweesi’s funeral, Museveni said government had been planning to install the security cameras for some time but was postponing it on account of other priorities like the roads and electricity.

"Since, however, these thugs think they can use this remaining gap in our otherwise robust security frame-work, I have decided and directed the Minister of Finance to work with Police to immediately close this gap."

Speaking to the nation about the state of security in the country in June following the gruesome murder of Arua Municipality MP Col.Ibrahim Abiriga and the recent spate of murders, Museveni highlighted a number of measures he said will help in fighting the rising spate of crime in the country.

Museveni told parliament that he boasts of having been involved in security and combat for the past 50 years adding that all the measures he is talking about can help fight crime because they are tested.

“The master blow is installation of cameras in town roads, streets and along highways. The enemy can evade any other forms of detection but not optical measures including cameras, telescope and the eye,” Museveni told parliament on June 20.

“One thing you can’t escape is the human eye, camera and telescope. It should be the anchor of anti-crime strategy. Our security forces should use ears to listen to any clues but should know eye is unbeatable.”

He also emphasized the need for a modern forensic laboratory would also help in fighting crime by testing the pieces of evidence picked from crime scenes.

However, the police spokesperson says the first phase of installation of the CCTV cameras will police stations all over the country put on one network of cameras.

Government is also set to start construction of the National Command Centre at Naguru that will have the finger prints of all Ugandans under the Automated Biometric Information System .