The second in command of Uganda police force says many criminals who spend nights in hotels, lodges and guest houses commit crimes and disappear. But when police is doing investigations, they realize that the criminals were accommodated in a given hotel or lodge yet their details were not captured.
Uganda's Hoteliers are ready to comply with police's requirement to pass on detailed particulars of guests who book into their facilities daily, but are concerned about any possible leakage of the information as this would be violation of privacy and also endanger their business.
Maj Gen Geoffrey Tumusiime, the deputy Inspector
General of Police, has proposed that hotels, lodges and guest houses be compelled
to regularly share their clients’ details with territorial police commanders.
Gen Tumusiime says it is not only accommodation venues
to provide details of their clients’ every day, but local leaders too should
also register every person (coming) in their area and give those details to the police
of the area.
The second in command of Uganda police force says many
criminals spend nights in hotels, lodges and guest houses; commit crimes and
disappear. But when police is doing investigations, they realize that the
criminals were accommodated in a given hotel or lodge yet their details were not
captured.
Gen Tumusiime says it is going to be a must for owners
or managers of accommodation facilities as well village leaders to provide details
of clients and residents to police at any day, any time whenever such
information is needed.
“Whether you are a minister or what; you must give your
passport to a hotel manager to first take your particulars. If you go to these
places, you ask them and they say they did not get the details. Everyday hotel accommodations,
lodges and chairperson must register their residents,” Tumusiime said.
//Cue in “Whether you are…
Cue out “…lodges and all this,”//
Jean Byamugisha, the Chief Executive Officer of Uganda Hotel Owners Association said she was busy in a meeting and could not speak to URN. However, some of the hotel owners and managers who were sampled out of this article said they have already been notified by police about the directive.
Hamza Kakande, the manager of Minister's Village hotel in Ntinda, said they have already been notified and directed to regularly submit their clients' details to nearby police. Kakande said they have started sharing the clients details to Ntinda police station.
//Cue in: "We have no...
Cue out "...informed us,"//
Daniel Kungu, Serana Hotel Kampala's general manager, said
he does not have any issue with Gen Tumusiime’s suggestion provided there is proof
that their clients’ data will not be exposed to wrong people.
Kungu said they operate a business that is within the
law and what police is suggesting is not knew because other cities do it. His only
worry is on how such data is protected and urges police to ensure that
information is not exposed.
//Cue in: “I have no issues…
Cue out “…secure the data as well,”//
Joseph Ssetuba, the director of Sir Jose hotel along Ggaba road, said police have visited them and informed them to prepare their clients details every day. However, Ssetuba said some days have passed since police directed them to prepare and share clients details every day but no one goes there to pick them up.
Ssetuba said their role is to prepare their clients details as needed by police but they will not bare the burden of taking them to police. Ssetuba said if police doesn't pick the their clients' details, they will just pile them every day.
//Cue in: "We do that...
cue out "...keep the records,"//
However, Ronald Zzibu, the Nabweru ward chairman, said
police needs to first sensitize locals on why they needed to be registered. Without
sensitization, Zzibu said the proposal which he says is very important in
addressing criminality will fail because some residents need to be convinced on
why they should have their details captured.
//Cue in: “Tekirina buzibu…
Cue out “…kyagenda okukola,”//
It is not the first time police have suggested that
local leaders shared all details of their residents to nearby police. It is also
not new that hotels have ever been directed to register and share clients’ information.
Previous suggestions failed because there was no sensitizations.
Zzibu said similar setbacks could be faced even this
time if police do not conduct sensitization. Zzibu also expresses concern over volatile
political situation where people are skeptical about anything that requires
giving out their details.
Najib Kasule, a human rights defender and member of
Public Interest lawyer, said police’s proposal might be of substance especially
to fighting crime but they should remember there is need to respect the privacy
of individuals.
Kasule warns that if respect for privacy isn’t considered,
it may result into legal battles especially if someone learns that his details
captured at a hotel have been shared to security agencies without consent.
Joseph Kato is currently a Master's candidate at Makerere University. He holds a Bachelors Degree in Mass Communication from Kampala International University, a Diploma in Journalism and he's also a graduate in Guidance and Counseling.
