Uganda People’s Defense Forces-UPDF officers and police personnel are already heavily deployed along the River Nile bank in Itanda falls in Jinja to offer security to Nyege-Nyege festival revelers. The event started yesterday.
Several foreign and local revelers have already checked into their cottages, while others set up camping tents amidst a hype of activities at the site. Exhibiters also stocked beverages and food items in makeshift bars and restaurants that is being enjoyed by partygoers.
Speaking to journalists after their final security planning meeting, the Jinja Resident District Commissioner, Elijah Madoi said that UPDF marine personnel, alongside their counterparts from police, have been dispatched to deter revelers from accessing risky points along the river banks.
He says that plain clothed police officers and detectives have also been dispatched within the neighboring communities to burst criminal gangs targeting revelers.
Madoi said that counter terrorism police personnel with the aid of sniffer dogs and other bomb detecting gadgets have since patrolled the venue to avert any form of terror related activities throughout the course of the festival.
Madoi added that detectives will pay much attention to those suspected to be involved in immorality and they have since dispatched three standby police patrol vehicles to Itanda falls to ease transportation of suspects to the nearby police stations for further prosecution.
Meanwhile, the Jinja District Health Officer, Peter Dyogo Nantamu says that they have partnered with development partners to ensure sensitization of revelers on HIV/AIDS prevention mechanisms.
“This festival is a platform for us to reach out to big congregations of people, from different walks of life and we shall be sensitizing them on the viable HIV/AIDS prevention mechanisms. We have also resolved to dispatch condom dispensers within the gazetted residential areas,” he says.
Dr Dyogo also notes that willing parties will be rallied to embrace voluntary covid-19 vaccination.
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