The Wakiso District Education Officer (DEO), Fredrick Kiyingi Kinobe, has called upon school administrators to tighten security and ensure vigilance in their schools to avoid any terrorist activities from happening.
These remarks were made after Uganda security agencies received information from the US and UN about the possibility of terrorism attacks in Uganda, particularly in busy places and places that host a lot of people.
During an interview with journalists on September 14, 2024, Kinobe called upon the school administrators to put into consideration these warnings and not take them lightly so that the scholars and staff do not fall prey to the terrorists and their evil plans.
Kinobe added that as scholars report back to school for the third term, they should be checked thoroughly to avoid prohibited items from being sneaked in the school.
’’Schools have many numbers of people, and they can easily be targeted by terrorists; therefore, school administrators should tighten security in their schools to avoid what happened in Kasese on June 16, 2023, when Lhubiriha Secondary School in Mpondwe was attacked by Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) rebels, where 41 students were brutally killed and the school dormitory was burned down,’’ Kinobe disclosed.
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He further cautioned school security guards against sleeping on jobs, urging them to be more vigilant and alert by checking whoever goes into or outside the schools.
’’The security guards should not only be guarding at the school gates but should rather move around every school corner to check for anything weird and also avoid any surprise attacks from these terrorists in case they attack,’’ Kinobe noted.
Kinobe also said that the school security guards should not just allow anyone to enter into any school premises because some of them are rebels’ spies who want to check for schools’ weaknesses and strengths to make attacks.
Kinobe’s urgent call to action underscores the critical importance of heightened security measures in schools across Uganda since they are also targets of these criminals; therefore, in light of the recent terror alerts from the US and UN, as well as the devastating attack on Lhubiriha Secondary School in 2023, school administrators must do their best and prioritize the safety and well-being of students and staff.
