By: Melanie Aanyu

Owners of private security companies have asked Uganda Police Force to adduce evidence of guns that have been modified from semi-automated to automated rifles.

Automated rifles fire repeatedly as long as the shooter holds the trigger while semi-automated rifles fire only one piece of ammunition at each pull of the trigger.

Police spokesperson Fred Enanga had earlier said that several guns that were seized by the police force’s Alert Squad Unit had been modified by the private security firms that hired or leased them.

Enanga explained that such large-scale, superior and automatic weapons can end up endangering the lives of the public because many private security guards do not know how to handle them.

Nevertheless, the owners of private security companies say police leadership through its spokesperson, made baseless allegations that are now threatening the confidence of their services to their clients.

Through their umbrella body, The Uganda Private Security Association (TUPSA), the companies say the police force based its allegations on a rumour without taking any verification.

TUPSA chairperson Grace Matsiko says that they have never been informed that any of their more than 200 members modify weapons, a process that he says is almost impossible to perform.