Law requiring police to train private security guards in the offing

A new law requiring the Police to train private security guards, particularly in public management and the use of firearms, is in the offing.

Gen. David Muhoozi, the State Minister for Internal Affairs, told the Parliamentary Committee on Defence and Internal Affairs last week that the Police has already designed a curriculum that will be followed in the training.

“In the proposed review of the regulations, we propose that the private security guards will be either trained from police training schools or police trainers are deployed to accredited private security organisations (PSOs) at a subsidised cost to ensure quality standardised training,” he said.

He was responding to issues raised by PSOs in their petition, which the committee is currently considering.

“Actually, as we speak now, we have something like 7,085 undergoing training by the Police free of charge in some of our schools for private security organisations, and these belong to different agencies or private security organisations,” the minister added.

Under the proposed arrangement, private companies will recruit personnel and then submit them to the Police for training.

Gen. Muhoozi said that currently, about 7,085 private security guards are undergoing training by the police free of charge.

Wilson Kajwengye, the committee chairman and Nyabushozi County MP, welcomed the move, noting that Uganda would not be the first country to adopt such a law. He cited South Africa, which has over 500,000 private security guards and a specific law regulating the sector.

“So, if there was a law, a distinct law to that effect, I think it would solve. But in my view, I think it is about time that we come up with a distinct law and maybe even an authority of some sort. I worked and lived in the Republic of South Africa. For them, they even have a private security practitioner’s authority,” he said.

Kajwengye argued that trade in security, especially involving firearms, cannot be treated like ordinary business.

Uganda currently relies on over 100,000 private security guards employed by 426 licensed firms to supplement the overstretched police force.

“In my view, if you are going to regulate an organisation whose strength outnumbers yours, it is highly likely that it will distract you or you will use more resources than you would ordinarily have used,” Kajwengye told the minister.

Over 190 firms approved

The government recently approved 191 private security firms and expanded the list of authorised firearm dealers to strengthen protective services nationwide.

A recent notice from the Inspector General of Police, Uganda Police Force, warns that these firms may only deploy guards and manage operations if they strictly follow national standards, including regular inspections, mandatory training, and firearm handling protocols under the Police (Control of Private Security Organisations) Regulations, 2013.

Separately, the Ministry of Internal Affairs licensed 12 firearm dealers for the year, including Stryker Gun Shop, SPC Protectorate, and Luwero Industries Limited in Nakasongola district, as well as outlets in Nakawa, Kololo, Ntinda, and Kamwokya.

This public list is intended to help businesses and institutions avoid illegal operators, thereby curbing illicit activities and boosting accountability.

Uganda’s firearms regime, governed by the Firearms Act of 1970, as amended in 2006, treats ownership as a regulated privilege for "fit and proper" individuals aged 25 and above who can demonstrate reasonable cause, mental fitness, and secure storage.

Senior Police officers and the Ministry issue discretionary one-year licences, renewable annually. Firms that fail to comply with regulations risk having their licences suspended.

This comes amid increasing public scrutiny of private security firms, prompting tighter regulation to streamline their operations.

Some of the regulations require firms to register, obtain IGP approval for leased firearms from licensed sources, and ensure guards hold individual licences.

Enforcement has recently intensified, including a late 2024 halt on new private firearm licences to curb civilian gun proliferation and misuse.