KIUMSAf

The Uganda Police Force has issued yet another terror alert, warning institutions of learning to be vigilant.

The latest alert issued mentions international and local schools and tertiary institutions as potential targets for the terrorists.

The alert comes just over a week after a university student duped the police into issuing a false terror alert warning shoppers against accessing Garden City and Nakumatt shopping malls in Kampala.

The student, Edwin Lubanda Twatwa, a pharmacy student confessed to starting the rumour which police picked and issued an alert last week which turned out to be a hoax.

Now with the latest alert, the Police Force has offered technical support to these institutions as they prepare to fight off terror attacks. Government Security Officer, Amos Olweny, described the situation as bad and urged administrators not to ignore the warning as a hoax.

Olweny said due to the seriousness of the issue police was putting out its patrollers and an inspection team to check on schools and institutions of higher learning to ensure they have measures in place to counter the latest threat.

According to Olweny, terrorists are capable of using grenades, carryout armed assault, and take hostages to demand ransom or even force themselves into premises like they did at the Westgate Mall in Nairobi in September this year. The attack in Nairobi left 67 people dead and at least 240 others injured.

Flanked by Police spokesperson Judith Nabakooba, Olweny urged learning institutions to know their surroundings, especially people who stay around, move around and get interested in what they see and hear.

He says that once people are alert it becomes difficult for terrorists to operate in an area that is not secure.

Olweny emphasised the issue of access control and urged these institutions to hire security guards who can be in position to ward off terrorists.

The Government security officer called on institutions to have emergency plans for evacuation, alarm systems and a safe haven where people can barricade themselves in case of danger.