Before the coronavirus scourge emerged a year ago and shut down pretty much of our normal way of life, global terrorism was the most vilified threat to human life worldwide.
The two horrifying deadly bombings on July 11, 2010 at Kyadondo Rugby grounds and Kabalagala, which killed many Ugandans – put the country on a warpath with radical Islamists and forced security agencies to marshal their surveillance apparatus to contain the threat of terrorism.
Security checks and surveillance cameras became mandatory in all public places. Strenuous body and baggage checks be-came the order of the day. But when the coronavirus emerged, it seems the security caution waned.
All attention shifted to slowing the march of the virus in public spaces considered to be super spreaders. Body and bag sweeps for weapons have since been replaced by temperature checks, hand washing and sanitizing and enforcing masking up before access to any public space, more so in Kampala, the capital.
An on-the-ground survey of several public spaces to check on their security alertness found many places with laxer security rules. At Shoprite, Clock Tower, a downtown supermarket, two security guards; a man and woman, stand at the entrance.
The lady holds a temperature gun to check everyone's temperature while the male guard holds out a hand sanitizer for clients. Temperature and symptom checks are part of a surveillance strategy meant to ensure early detection of risk of Covid-19 transmission.
Fever or high temperature (37.8o C or greater) is considered a telling symptom of Covid-19 infection. A high temperature may flag the need for further consideration of keeping away from a public space or require further clinical discussions about path-ways of care.
At Shoprite, Clock Tower after the temperature reading is taken, and hands sanitized, a masked up person is allowed access into the supermarket without his or her bag frisked for weapons. Before Covid-19, The Observer can confirm that security guards at this place had metal detectors and conducted mandatory bags and luggage frisks.
At Garden City Shopping Mall on Yusuf Lule road, a water tank and soap are placed right at the entrance. Security guards stand nearby making sure everyone washes hands before going inside. People literally walk in with anything else without any security checks.
At the nearby Oasis Mall, even Covid-19 standard operating procedures are not strenuously enforced. Security guards are rather lax. Whereas a hand sanitizer bottle is placed at the entrance, people walk in freely without dousing their hands with the liquid.
Security guards just look on. Guards at both places (Garden City and Oasis mall) have no temperature guns to take temperature readings. At Kooki Tower on Buganda road, guards comfortably sit at the main entrance with sanitizer sprays but don't conduct any security searches.
The situation is no different at the Uganda National Theatre. As long as you are masked up, security guards will offer the sanitizer and let you walk in. Motorists simply drive-in without security checks or sanitizing their hands. A top city school, which had a tight security regime prior to the Covid-19 induced lockdown, has softened since the institution opened.
Security procedures like presenting an identity card, registering and checking bags be-fore entry have since been ditched for washing hands, taking body temperature readings and ensuring masks are worn.
When asked why they no longer carry out security checks, one security guard said, "Are you carrying anything that we should be scared of? You have been sanitized and your temperature is normal, what more do you want? Go and do what has brought you here or leave."
However, places like Acacia Mall at Kisementi, Kamwokya have maintained a tight security lookout as well as ensuring that Covid-19 SOPs are enforced. Security guards make sure everyone sanitizes and walks through a metal detector. Bags are frisked too and body temperatures taken before anyone walks in.
Motorists are also sanitized, body temperature readings taken and cars thoroughly checked. Interviewed for a comment recently, Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson Patrick Onyango said police has started talking to owners of public places about ensuring that private security guards do rigorous security checks on top of enforcing Covid-19 SOPs.
"It is true that security checks are being compromised by sanitizing and temperature checks but there are ongoing engagements with private security companies and management of some of these places to ensure that they either hire more security guards to do security and Covid-19 SOPs checks or managements get volunteers to do the Covid-19 SOPs work so that security guards are only left with handling the security of the place," Onyango told The Observer.
He said, however, that police has not yet registered any complaints or incidences arising from laxer security monitoring in most places.
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