IGP Byakagaba presides over pass-out of 7,018 private security guards

KATAKWI - The Inspector General of Police, Abas Byakagaba, is presiding over the pass-out ceremony of 7,018 Private Security Guards recruited from former Special Police Constables today, Wednesday, April 22, 2026, at the Police Training School in Olilim, Katakwi District.

More than 100 representatives and directors of private security firms have arrived with buses to transport the guards to their respective deployment destinations.

The trainees drawn from 32 policing districts of the Uganda Police Force include 125  women.

On behalf of the trainees, student representative Juliet Abeja expressed gratitude to the Uganda Police Force for the training, saying it had equipped them with critical skills in professionalism, discipline, and the safe handling of firearms.

“We thank you for empowering us to improve our performance in private security organisations, especially in the safe handling and use of firearms during guard and escort duties,” Abeja said.

The Commandant of the Counter-Terrorism Police Training School, Senior Superintendent of Police Jasper Oloka, said the five-week training, which commenced on March 11, was designed to equip the guards with competencies to respond to evolving security demands.

Oloka described the group as a unique category of private security personnel, noting that many possessed diverse professional backgrounds, including mechanical engineering, plumbing, catering, and driving.

Oloka said the course covered 16 modules, including self-defence, drills and parade, weapon handling, particularly the use of AK-47 rifles and pump-action guns and VIP protection.

“We are confident that these trainees can incorporate self-defence in their daily operations, demonstrate weapon proficiency, and provide protection to VIPs and vital installations,” he said.

He added that beyond technical skills, the trainees had also been equipped with discipline and a strong sense of ideological and national orientation.

“The main purpose of this training was to create uniformity, build confidence, and equip them with the skills and knowledge needed to strengthen private security in the country,” Oloka noted.

He cautioned private security companies to manage the newly trained personnel responsibly, emphasising that their role goes beyond business into national security.

Oloka urged the graduates to treat their new roles as a service above self and to act as “game changers” in the private security sector.