Makerere University police believes the newly installed CCTV cameras will help in fighting crime. The police here say the CCTV cameras will monitor all corners of the university, without need for increased deployment to cover Uganda’s largest university.

The Officer in Charge Makerere Police station, ASP Nickson Okello Onea says the cameras are to add value to the police and increase their capacity and capability.

"We have been doing things manually but now it is going to be easier to monitor with the technology of cameras," Okello told journalism@mak.

Okello however notes that with proper management, cameras can help to reduce crime in many parts of the country.

"If there is power supply and proper management, the crime rate can be reduced," he added. He emphasized the issue of proper management, saying that cameras can only identify suspects and keep records but they cannot speak or prevent crimes.

However, some students in the university say the cameras are not a guarantee of primary security but only a starting point of investigation. They add that cameras can be escaped if a person wears masks or if they target their blind spots.

Johnson Mwanguzi, a student of Bachelor of Law and a resident of Mitchell hall explains that the dark spots have been left out while installing cameras inside Makerere.

“The very dangerous spots have been left out. Look at the area behind Lumumba and CEDAT those are the places we have been complaining about. If you leave out such areas, then there is no work done," he argued.

Moses Bbosa who is also residing in Mitchell hall and a student of Bachelor of Education says that mere planting of cameras doesn't mean they will work. He adds that the project must firs bear tangible fruits for it to be commended and not out of excitement. "We have seen projects like the street lights failing shortly after the lights were put up. How sure are we the cameras will not be stolen like the street lights were allegedly stolen?" Bbosa asks.

The work for installing CCTV cameras inside Makerere university is ongoing and over twenty cameras have been installed so far. The Western gate, Senate building, Nkrumah hall, Complex hall and the Main Gate are some of areas where the cameras have been planted.

The government of Uganda embarked on installing CCTV cameras around the country as an initiative towards fighting the high crime rates, especially the recent murders. These have been already installed in some parts of the country like Kasubi, Nakulabye, Lugala among others.