Police boss inspects oil and gas fields

KIKUUBE- The acting Inspector General of Police (Ag IGP), Maj Gen Geoffrey Tumusiime Katsigazi, has identified security gaps in the oil-rich areas in the Albertine region.

Maj Gen Geoffrey Tumusiime Katsigazi who inspected establishments at:  Kingfisher Oilfield in Buhuka parish in Kyangwali sub-county in Kikuube District, Kabaleega International Airport in Kabaale sub-county Hoima District and the Tilenga Project in Buliisa district said that there is a need to beef up the security to bridge some of the security gaps to avoid any disruption during the implementation of different development activities in the oil and gas sector.

He said that his assessment followed different briefs with different security stakeholders in the region who briefed him about a number of oil projects being undertaken in the area.

.The Ag IGP did not divulge the existing security gaps and promised to compile a report which he will present to his superiors to get a way forward inorder to address these gaps.

Maj Gen Katsigazi however acknowledged that there exist security threats from the conflict-riddled eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) that borders Uganda’s oil region but said that security is always alert to see that such conflict does not interrupt peace and security of the people of Bunyoro and Uganda at large.

The Ag IGP assured the people of Bunyoro of their security before urging them to always report to the nearest security officials or leaders in case of any suspicious elements that could disrupt security.

He added that security is aware of the piracy issues on the lake that have left several fishermen attacked and lost their lives, money and fishing gears.

Security personnel deployed on the lake, he added  will continue carrying out operations on the lake to ensure protection of people and their property.

Kikuube RDC Amlan Tumusiime visiting victims of militiamen at Hoima Regional Referral Hospital recently

 The Kikuube district resident’s district commissioner Amlan Tumusiime commended the IGP for the inspection visiting tour to assess the security situation in the oil and gas-rich areas.

He noted that the district security committee has put different security measures including registration of residents and new entrants by local council one leaders in their localities.

He reported  that different areas along the shore of Lake Albert have been facing attacks from armed militia for the last three years but no incident has been registered since this year began because of the security effort.

CNOOC official briefing Maj Gen Geoffrey Tumusiime Katsigazi about the oil development at Kingfisher oil field in Kikuube district

Last year (2023)  in August gunmen reportedly attacked fishermen on the waters of Lake Albert in Kikuube district and left two people who included Oyerigu Kakuru and Asirifu Mugumiyo and a resident of Nsunzu landing site in Kyangwali nursing injuries.

Police suspected the attackers to be the same armed militia from DRC that has been terrorizing the fishermen on the waters of Lake Albert for the last three years.