The Uganda Police have clarified that 450 cameras of the 5,709 installed cameras are nonfunctional.

In statement issued by the Police spokesperson, Fred Enanga, the cameras were affected by the ongoing road and civil works along the selected road sections in Entebbe, Mukono, Kira, Kawempe, Kampala Flyover, Mpigi, Hoima, Kyenjojo, Gulu, Mbale and Kasese.

He explained that the disruptions arose due to civil works contractors, not following procedures, as well as their failure to conduct sufficient due diligence.

He refuted reports in one of the local newspapers that a total of 1776 of the 5153 cameras installed countrywide, under the CCTV surveillance camera network superintended by police malfunctioned, due to optic fibre cuts during the road utility works.

Enanga said as police, they strongly refute the claims as false, saying the story was malicious and misleading.

“There is no massive malfunction of the devices as alleged in the poorly researched media report,” he noted.

He stressed that since the launch of the National CCTV Project by H.E the President, in 2018, a total of 5709 CCTV cameras have been installed in 2,027 camera sites, countrywide. 

"Out of the 5709 CCTV cameras installed countrywide, only 450 CCTV cameras were affected by the ongoing road and civil works in selected road sections,” he added.

However, Enanga said a team of experts from the Directorate of Information Communications Technology (ICT), have in close coordination with the M/s Huawei Technologies Uganda, the Contractor of the CCTV Project, switched focus to the critical relocation and maintenance of the 450 cameras. 

“They also continue to constantly monitor the nationwide performance of the CCTV Network operation which stands at 98%,” he noted.

He stressed that they are to work in close coordination with other civil government authorities to set up standardized civil works procedures for all contractors to observe before and during the civil works. 

He explained that the stringent measures are to help reduce accidental damage to critical CCTV fibre networks and other fibre infrastructure, thus mitigating disruptions to CCTV coverage.

Enanga said police continue to proactively monitor, patrol, and gather intelligence in areas where the disruptions occurred, as the technical teams strive to restore the CCTV cameras.

He stressed that despite a few challenges created by civil works, CCTV remains an effective crime-fighting tool, whose expansion into every public space in the country is necessary.