RDC tasks schools on security after thugs kill two guards
This photo taken on February 16 shows the main entrance to a school in Buikwe District where two school security guards were brutally murdered. Inset is Buikwe RDC Jane Francis Kagayi. PHOTO/ROBERT MUGAGGA
What you need to know:
- By Wednesday evening, police had confirmed arrests of two suspects as investigations continued.
Buikwe Residence District Commissioner (RDC), Ms Jane Francis Kagayi has tasked school proprietors to beef up security to deter thugs from accessing their premises.
This comes days after unknown thugs armed with machetes and stones descended on and killed two local security guards at Naalya Secondary School Lugazi campus, Buikwe District.
According to Ms Ritah Mutaawe, the school head teacher, the attackers accessed the school premises in the wee hours of last Friday, after cutting a chain link fence and made away with property worth millions of shillings.
“They [thugs] attacked the first guard, Geoffrey Mawombe, whom they hit several times on the head using huge stones at the main entrance. After realizing that he was dead, they proceeded to the administration block where they found another guard, Isaac Ezangu, and cut him on the neck leaving him unconscious, but later died at Kawolo General Hospital where had been rushed,” She said.
After killing the guards, Ms Mutaawe explained that the thugs later broke into her office and that of the bursar, where they stole desk top computers and an unspecified amount of money.
RDC Ms Kagayi condemned the act but blamed the management for “not doing enough to ensure security at the school.”
She wondered how such a big school with a population of more than 500 learners could fail to hire from armed private security companies and instead use young stick-wielding ‘boys’.
“What if these thugs had come to harm students…do you know what would be here?” the RDC asked while addressing Journalists at her office on February 16.
As head of security in the district, Ms Kagayi stressed that she will heighten operations to prevent such incidents.
“The rate of crime is high in the past few weeks since night curfew was lifted. It’s high time we thought about reinstating curfew from 10 pm to 4am in some parts of our areas especially where there are cases of insecurity,” she said.
Asked what they intend to do to schools whose security will be found lacking, Ms Kagayi said: “Action which may include closure will be taken against the proprietors.”
By Wednesday evening, police had confirmed arrests of two suspects as investigations continued.
“We can guide schools on what to do regarding the security of their learners and that of their properties,”Sezibwa Regional Police spokesperson, Ms Helen Butoto said while advising school owners to seek professional security assistance from top security organs.
