The Effectiveness of Private Security Organisations in Providing Security in Uganda: a Case of Saracen Uganda Ltd and G4S Security Services Uganda Ltd.

Abstract

The study aimed at assessing the effectiveness of two private security organisations providing security in Uganda, from the time they were started, guided by the three objectives of tracing the history and records of operations of two security organisations in Uganda; assessing the effectiveness and problems faced by the two security organisations and, identifying the measures that can help to serve well that are suggested by management and security operatives and the community organisations where they have ever served and are serving now.

Respondents from Saracen (U) Ltd and G4S personnel were selected using purposive sampling technique of non-probability sampling method because it suited the study and only involved respondents who were readily available at the time of filling questionnaires and interviews while the 30 respondents on the side of private security companies’ clients from Central division of Kampala Capital City Authority were selected using Random population sampling technique of probability sampling method to give all the selected private security organization’ clients equal opportunities to be selected to contribute to the study.

The study used a case study design and survey design in which the researcher thoroughly studied a relatively small number of Private Security Organisations and made inferences to entire Private security Organisations in the study. The survey study design helped to obtain data from respondents who are consumers of protection services in the community.

The Study found out that the majority of private security clients have hired both armed and unarmed security personnel. As it was found out in the study 17 respondents preferred hiring both armed and unarmed Private security personnel for different reasons of which the unarmed personnel sit at the reception to receive and guide visitors of their offices while the armed private security organisations are supposed to maintain peace and security at the premise.

The study recommends that if the private security organisations are to achieve excellence in private security services, both Saracen (U) Ltd and G4S should equip all guards with all the necessary equipment to guards as well as consulting the Uganda police especially to establish if the ex-service men and women they want to recruit were honourably discharged for army and have no criminal records to avoid making private security organisations a hide out for criminals among others.

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