The Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Maj Gen Paul Lokech, has overhauled commanders in the directorate of Information Communication and Technology-ICT.
This is in a bid to improve timely response to crime incidents captured by Closed Circuit Television –CCTV security cameras,
The latest reshuffles of ICT heads have seen 19 police officers all at the rank of Assistant Superintendent of Police appointed to head various departments. ASP Simon Peter Luyombya has been appointed head of the Radio Frequency Unit while ASP Deogratius Kiberu has been named head of Core Network, under ICT maintenance department.
ASP Shamim Nabakooza has been named head of main switching centres and application management, ASP Onesmus Asiimwe has been appointed head of emergency call centre services under the signal department while ASP Isaac Buluba has been assigned as head of network operation centre under ICT department.
Other appointees include Clovis Tindyebwa who is now head of geographical information system- GIS unit under the information technology and information management department, Samuel Obua who has been assigned to head the power plant section under ICT maintenance, Beatrice Auma who is now the head of the telecommunication services under the signal department and Ronald Mugabi, the new head of operations under CCTV command centre.
IIn the aftermath of a shooting that targeted the former Chief of Defence Forces- CDF Gen Edward Katumba Wamala, in June, Maj Gen Lokech said that there was a slow response by the team in CCTV monitoring centres as well as the 999 patrol squad. Gen Katumba was attacked on June 1, 2021, at Kisota road in Kampala in an incident that claimed the life of his daughter Brenda Nantongo and driver Sgt Haruna Kayondo. The four-star General survived with bullet wounds.
Gen Lokech said if the CCTV team had swiftly alerted the 999 patrol squad and nearby police stations, Gen Katumba’s attackers would have been cornered within the crime area because they spent over 55 minutes figuring out the actual escape routes.
“The assailants spent about 55 minutes in the Kisaasi-Kulambiro- Bukoto area, after the attack. A more thorough situational awareness could have prevented the attack and or countered the attackers. It was a wake-up call and as security, we took an effort to diagnose the failures in the prevention of the attack, by the hostile actors,” Gen Lokech said.
Uganda Radio Network – URN has learnt that Gen Lokech has in the last six weeks overhauled commanders attached to crucial ICT units. He has already appointed new commanders for all key ICT departments and units particularly those that have direct control of personnel attached to divisional and National CCTV command centre.
The changes ever since Gen Katumba was shot have not spared Commissioner of Police- CP Felix Baryamwisaki, who was the acting director of the ICT Directorate. He was moved to logistics and engineering and replaced with CP Yusuf Ssewanyana. The National CCTV command centre was commissioned by President Yoweri Museveni in November 2019.
Security agencies comprised of Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence –CMI, Crime Intelligence-CI, Joint Anti-Terrorism Taskforce –JAT have so far shot dead four people suspected to have participated in Gen Katumba attack while eight others have been charged in court.
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