Three organizations in Mukono district have terminated their contracts with Centurian security company citing the unprofessional conduct of their guards.
They are Devon petroleum at Namayiba in Nakisunga sub-county, Mukono Zonal Agricultural Development Institute-Muzardi at Ntawo, and JK hostels at Kauga in Mukono Municipality.
The three organizations had contracted Centurian limited to provide security services at their business premises. However, they accuse the guards from the firm of turning around to steal where they are deployed to provide security.
The recent incident occurred last month at the JK hostel where a female guard from the security firm identified as Mercy Agudo was caught red-handed with clothes belonging to UCU students in her bag.
At Muzardi, two guards broke into the offices and took computers. Another guard at Devon Petroleum broke into the cash office in June and made off with Shillings one million after abandoning his firearm.
Hajji Baker Mukasa, the Manager of Devon Petroleum, was caught on Camera taking Shillings one million, which led the management to terminate the contract of the security firm.
Mukasa advises police to always monitor and assess the working conditions of security guards other than stopping at issuing them operating licenses.
Several guards working at Centurian limited blame the unprofessional conduct of their colleagues on late payment. The guards claim that they spend months without payment.
On July 21, 2022, guards from the same company petitioned Mukono District Labour Officer, Doreen Berinda protesting delayed payments.
In their written petition backed by signatures a copy of which this website has obtained, the guards complained that whenever they ask for their salaries, they are told that their company director is drowning in bank loans.
“We have now become victims of his loans. So he tells us to use our 99 guns for survival in a smart way (referring to stealing). …we were neither trained to steal nor have the will for it,” the petition reads in part.
The guards, who are paid Shillings 170, 000 monthly are demanding arrears for three months. Joseph Ssali, one of the affected guards, says that he abandoned his duty station to look for errands to sustain his family.
Dennis Nabasa, the Centurian Mukono branch manager, told this website last month that the company director is working hard to clear arrears and refuted claims that they asked the guards to use their guns for survival.
On Thursday, Nabasa again told our reporter that their boss is working towards clearing the guard’s salary arrears.
Doreen Berinda, the Mukono District Labour Officer, says several guards write to her office but rarely follow up on their complaints making it hard for her to write to their bosses.
She cites the example of the guards from Centurian security company who dropped the letter at her office and never made any follow-up.
In recent security meetings aimed at stemming armed robberies in Mukono, several LC I chairpersons pointed accusing fingers at security guards for aiding some of the robberies.
The Mukono Resident District Commissioner-Fatumah Ndisaba also confirmed receiving reports over the failure of security guards to register their routines.
She appealed to the Inspector General of Police to revise the modality of approving and monitoring security companies.
Centurian security group was incorporated in 2015 to offer security services including providing guards, escorts, investigations, and consultancy services. Its headquarters are in Magwa- Jinja City.
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