Mind your safety as you celebrate this festive season

Kampala- As it is every year in December, the festive season is here yet again. And you can’t fail to recognise the pomp and change in mood among people and atmosphere in Kampala and across the country.
With the pleasant Christmas carols filling the air, you might forget to think about anything but rejoicing. However, you should recall that it is during times like these, that we least expect calamity and that is when it strikes.
Nevertheless, there are some responsibilities basic security measures that you can put in consideration to enjoy the moment while ensuring that your life, family and public is not in harm’s way.

Be aware of the person(s) next to you
The police have been encouraging “neighbourhood watch” lately, a community policing system where it is everyone’s responsibility to have basic information about their neighbours with the assumption that no criminal elements may infiltrate in those particular communities.

As we all know, there will be long queues and gatherings of people going to worshipping places. Whereas some have genuinely gone to worship, others are on different missions to grab what they possibly can.

Knowing the people around you could be a good practice this festive season as we get to meet people we haven’t seen before just to be sure we are socialising with genuine ones. In case of suspicious characters, you can inform the nearby authorities for help.

Think about the children
It is strange that when it is time for merry making, some people get swayed and at times forget to care for the young ones. You might doubt this but the director of police operations, Mr Andrew Felix Kaweesi met church leaders earlier in the week and said police are always burdened with cases of lost children during and after festive seasons.

He advised parents to only carry along their children if they must. “Those who can should leave the young ones at home, unless they are to be in special places because we want to reduce the cases of lost children.”

Do not dupe your clients/followers
This applies to music promoters and church owners. Some churches are basically businesses and owners will do anything, including false advertising top attract congregations to their worship places. Some churches advertise that they will offer healing sessions to those who will go to their churches, and as a result people will go to the church, give offertory and wait for the “healing” moment in vain.

Mr Kaweesi says this has been happening and never ends in peace. “They come for a particular item and when they don’t get it, they will start throwing chairs and stones. And the same applies to music promoters,” he says.

Cooperate with security agencies
Sometimes we look at the police and other security agencies through negative lenses but we need to work with them to ensure our safety.

Police have always said they cannot manage alone, and to work better, they need to work with the people whom they seek to safeguard.

“As police, we can’t manage the task of protecting everybody alone. We want the public and mainly the church to be embedded in the security system so that we can have a smooth festive season,” Mr Kaweesi said.

Be sure about what you eat
Wherever you will go, you will most likely find foodstuffs along the way or near a place you will be spending time this festive season.
It is important to be wary of what you eat and feed your little ones on. Some foods may cause stomach problems while others might actually be poisoned. Mr Kaweesi says terrorists keep changing tricks and you never know their next plan. “They can poison the food being cooked or set a place ablaze. It is important to keep an eye on everyone around you.”

Home safety
No one wants to miss out on Christmas festivities, and as a result, you might be tempted to lock the house and move out with everyone, leaving the home at the Lord’s mercy. Trust the lord but you might want to leave someone behind to be the home “policeman”. It is easy for attackers to do what they want where there is nobody watching them. You probably do not want to expose your home to any kind of horror this season. Also think about who you leave in care of the little ones in case you decide to leave them home.

Church time
This is one place where many will be going to praise and worship as they celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. But the concern is, will all those that will be attending church be good? Well, it is for you to judge and act accordingly.

The police say the church is the most targeted by criminal gangs, especially terrorists who target large crowds.
Mr Kaweesi says: “We know that very many people will be going to churches and it is times like these that terrorists want to attack because they target large numbers.

“Now that churches will bring together the crowds, we should work together to avert possible threats.

He urges church leaders to hire security gadgets to control the access of churches by the various groups of people.

“Everyone, including criminals will be running to hide in church even after committing crimes, you should be able to identify and report such characters to the police,” he adds.

Mr Kaweesi warns of various forms of terrorism, saying it is not only about bombing. “You should limit those selling foodstuffs around the churches because there are bad people who might poison the food. Terrorists can attack by poison, fire or bullets, you just have to be on alert,” he says.
Pastor Aaron Mutebi of Entebbe Miracle Centre Cathedral, says it should be a responsibility of every church leader to put in place basic security measures to ensure security around the churches.

Despite the measures we might put in place, he says, there are always unavoidable problems or emergencies. However, the police have put in place measures to mitigate the repercussions.

Mr Patrick Onyango, the Kampala Metropolitan spokesperson, says the police toll free lines have been revamped and now have a standby team to respond to emergencies. “We have the directorate of fire and rescue which is on standby 24/7 and they respond to those attacked and fires. They also provide ambulance services wherever needed,” Mr Onyango says.

He also says the police operations unit is on standby and responds to those attacked by thieves and assaulters. “The fire and rescue directorate is based in Kampala but coordinates activities around the country,” Mr Onyango says.

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