The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Martins Okoth Ochola has issued a ‘final warning’ to private security companies that have not heeded his orders of deploying two guards per station to minimize incidents of being targeted by thugs.

Through the director police operations John Nuwagira, Ochola indicates that they have held several meetings with the owners of private security companies to stop lone deployments but the majority have remained adamant.

Lone deployments of private security guards, according to Ochola, have left many guards to fall victim to attackers who in most cases are armed with rifles or machetes. The police chief said that any private security company that will not implement the double deployment directive will have its operating license revoked.

In response to Ochola’s last warning, Grace Matsiko, chairman of The Uganda Private Security Association (TUPSA), said they are not opposed to the idea of deploying two guards per station but the blame is on their clients that reject double deployment because of extra costs involved.