CHOGM UGANDA GETS HIGH GADGETS

Chogm: Uganda gets high tech gadgets
EMMANUEL GYEZAHO & ZURAH NAKABUGO
KAMPALA
UGANDA'S security preparedness ahead of the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting this month has been boosted by a donation of sophisticated global police communication's system from Interpol, which will largely enable instant detection of stolen or fake passports.

Uganda will claim rights in the process, as it emerged that the country will be the first and only one in Africa with what has been described as a state of the art border control system that will allow automated screening of passports of those entering the country, against Interpol's global data base for stolen or lost travel documents.

Visiting Interpol Secretary General Ronald Noble told a news conference yesterday at the Police Headquarters - now doubling as the Kampala Chogm joint security command centre, that Interpol will "put this in place in the next two weeks, making Uganda the first country in Africa to have this state of the art system for border screening."

Mr Noble said the system, dubbed I-24/7 Global Police Communications Network, is the same "we put in place in the Caribbean during the cricket world cup, and it allowed the screening of dangerous people who were entering the Caribbean."

He said Interpol would spend close to 200,000 Euros (about Shs 540million) in setting up the system.

Police boss Kale Kayihura, was delighted with the Interpol support "You can see really the invaluable support Interpol is bringing to us," he said.

Interpol is the global police organisation that facilitates international police cooperation and focuses primarily on public safety, terrorism, organised crime, war crimes, illicit drug production, drug trafficking, weapons smuggling, money laundering, computer crime and corruption.

Mr Noble said Interpol would deploy a Major Event Support Team (Imest) to provide the Uganda Police round the clock support during the entire Chogm period.
"Interpol has committed itself to asking all of our member countries to let us know if there are any threats or any information suggesting that there might be a threat against this event," Mr Noble said.

He said since almost a third of the world's leaders are expected, prudence requires that all measures are taken to ensure security of this event.The summit will run from November 23 to 25.

He said there was no terrorist threat targeting the event. "We have received no information whatsoever suggesting any targeting of this event by any terrorist group," he said.

To man the country's porous borders, Gen. Kayihura said security patrols would be beefed up along the borders. "This system helps us to detect sophisticated criminals and not these petty criminals using panyas [footpaths].
“It will help us detect terrorists," he said.

In the US, Mr Noble said, only John F. Kennedy airport is equipped with the sophisticated border control system.
Interpol has provided similar support during the 2005 meeting of the World Trade Organisation in Hong Kong, China, as well as for major sporting events such as the 2006 World Cup in Germany and the 2006 Winter Olympic games in Italy.

He said the system would stay in Uganda after Chogm. "This is one of the benefits of Chogm," said Gen. Kayihura.
"Chogm is an opportunity for all of us. Look at the hotels, the roads. It is an opportunity that has helped build infrastructure."



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