Police to bar access to barracks, stations

Police are to issue tougher restrictions on movement within and to police barracks after an officer at Masindi Police Station tested positive to coronavirus, leading to the quarantining of the entire barracks of 104 personnel and their families.

The officer did not have history of any contact with any person who had returned from abroad recently nor was he among the frontline personnel who were deployed in the field to enforce the presidential directives on the pandemic.
Ministry of Health officials are still tracing the people the officer could have had contact with.
The new restrictions on the police personnel movement will focus on ensuring that police barracks and stations have stricter access controls and health guidelines.

This follows Cabinet observation that security personnel are not adhering to the Ministry of Health guidelines to prevent the spread of coronavirus yet they are operating in areas where they are highly exposed to the virus.

Ms Polly Namaye, the police deputy spokesperson, said the police management will issue guidelines after directors have returned from Masindi District where they had gone to assess the health situation of the officer.

They also went to find new officers to deploy after the entire barracks was quarantined.
“Further measures shall be communicated to ensure safety of all people wishing to access police services at our stations,” Ms Namaye said.

Police stations and barracks are some of the most congested areas, making it difficult to maintain social distancing.
Some barracks can be accessed by anyone through ungazetted entrances contrary to the presidential directives to keep only essential workers on site.

Last week, two officers at Malaba border were arrested and isolated after they were captured on camera allegedly receiving bribes from several truck drivers.

On Friday, another traffic police officer without any protective gear, impounded a Kenyan truck, which he later entered. The Kenyan driver’s coronavirus test results had not yet been released.

The officer moved with the driver to Kampala Central Police Station. Both were intercepted before entering the Central Police Station and taken into isolation where they will be tested and quarantined for 14 days.

Guidelines
In the new guidelines, the commanders will not allow non-residents to access the barracks. Police stations will also be sanitised regularly. Police officers have been seen without face masks and other protective gear while carrying out operations in risky areas such as checkpoints on roads and border points.

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