Last week, President Yoweri Museveni commissioned the national CCTV monitoring command centre at the Police Headquarters in Naguru in an effort to put most parts of the city and country under surveillance to curb crime.
Although government managed to install CCTV cameras in some parts of the city and along some highways, criminals can use the spots that are not under surveillance to carry out their heinous actions, and it is because of this that individuals have made an effort to install these cameras on their property.
Those that haven’t yet done so decry the high prices a full set of CCTV cameras cost, and blame the high prices on the fact that government has levied taxes on this kind of surveillance technology.
Today, Kasambya County MP Mbwatekamwa Gaffa presented a motion in Parliament urging govt to remove taxes on CCTV cameras to make them affordable to individuals who would like to monitor their businesses and households. Gaffa said that many Ugandans would love to own CCTV cameras but they are costly.
The motion was seconded by MP Agaba Abbas Mugisha from Kitagwenda and Kumi Woman MP Monicah Amoding who said if there are no stressing financial implications; government should install CCTV cameras in all public places to improve on security and curb sexual harassment in workplaces.
The House chaired by Deputy Speaker Jacob Oulanyah passed a motion urging government to review the tax regime on CCTV cameras and automotive tracking devices.