By Asenath Were
On May 30, 2024, many people at Uganda Christian University (UCU) were surprised at the sight of the Magnum Security agency’s white and cream-uniformed personnel replacing the typically blue-uniformed Saracen security.
The significant change, according to UCU Head of Security Charles Nahamya, the change resulted from the expiration of Saracen Company’s contract with the university. However, Nahamya noted that Saracen has not completely left the institution but has stayed at some campuses, “…the Kampala campus still employs the former security personnel,” he pointed out.
Following the COVID-19 pandemic that ravaged the world in 2020 and 2021, UCU underwent several security phases. They transitioned from in-house security to out-sourced security, specifically the Saracen company, and now Magnum security .
In sourcing for a security company, Nahamya pointed out that several factors are taken into account. These factors include the company’s years of operation, the calibre of the managers—that is, their experience and level of qualification—and, last but not least, the needs of the university and the tools available to them for the job.
Goddie Semakula, the Magnum Onsight supervisor, stressed that only experienced candidates were deployed, “As a result, UCU should anticipate better services because the right people are in the right positions and our women are trained to treat other women with respect, ” he said.
He disclosed that they had researched about UCU before engaging with it so they are familiar with the people they are guarding.
Third-year human resource management student Dorcas Musiimenta reported that other than the new security team’s friendliness and welcoming demeanor, not much has changed, “… but you know that’s how they always are in the beginning, so we hope they continue being nice throughout the semester,” she said.
Magnum Security Company was founded in 2019 with the goal of supplying properly trained and certified security professionals across a range of business sectors.
