Speaker Kadaga Orders External Security to Keep Away from Parliament

The Speaker of Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga has issued new guidelines to the security department at Parliament ordering all other security forces to vacate the prinsincts of Parliament with immediate effect.

“There were certain events that occurred here in the past and I wrote to the Head of State to speak about them but never the less, I want to take the following measures concerning our security,” Kadaga told the House on Tuesday.

She directed the Sargent at Arms to seal off the entrance to Parliament which faces the Office of the President saying it endangers the security of the August House.

“There is access on the fourth floor of the Parliament building leading to the Office of the President, it has been designed that somebody can move from the Office of the President into the Parliament Building, reach the lobby without going through any security check, this constitutes a danger to the prinsitincs,” Speaker Kadaga said.

She further directed that “all the staff of Parliamentary Police must hence forth wear uniform and must have name tags, we must identify who they are with their names”.

The Speaker also directed the Clerk to Parliament to ensure that the names and ranks of the police personnel deployed at Parliament are submitted in writing to her office.

“Any changes made must be communicated as agreed upon by the Parliamentary Commission. Parliament is a civilian institution and should be guarded by the Police, all other security organs if they are here should withdraw and go where they are supposed to go,” Kadaga ordered.

The stiff regulations from the Speaker in regard to security at Parliament follow concerns from MPs and the public that stemed from the infamous incident on September 27 in which some MPs were assaulted by unknown security operatives.