Mulindwa (not real name), an employee with a security agency was recently shocked when he went through check-in of a public building without being checked yet he was carrying a firearm.

He then decided to see whether this was the case for other public buildings that are accessed by hundreds of people.

"I moved to five different buildings but it was disappointing to see that authorities in charge of security either ignoring checking some people or they are simply bullied into not checking them,” he narrates.

He further observed laziness and long working hours as some of the factors that have weakened the essence of checking people before they access public buildings.

"People have continuously used this opportunity to sneak into buildings with illegal property, a practice that puts very many lives at stake,” he says.

A source at Century Real Estate, a property management company, said that security organs who are hired by the owners of the buildings are given the full task of security.

"As much we are supposed to monitor the security guards, they have to be given guidelines on how to check people”.

Joshua Perfect, a salesman at CHIC Complex in Kigali, says places that host many people from different paths of life call for tight security.

"It is difficult to know what someone intends to do. When security check-ins were put in place, it was a relief to many people for it ensured that we could stay assured of our safety,” he says.

However, he added that this has not been the case because people still smuggle illegal goods into the facilities.

Security companies weigh in

Jean de Dieu Ibyamatware, the operations manager at HI-Sec, a local security agency, says a security check of at least three stages to function properly which include the walk-through, the luggage scanner, and a metal detector.

"When someone is entering any public facility, the first step is that they should be guided to a walk-through, this will notify the security officials of any illegal material that could be hidden. And if they have any sort of luggage, they are asked to pass the luggage into a luggage scanner; this is followed by scanning them with a hand-held metal detector,” he explains.

Ibyamatware points out that regardless of some rare cases where people are rebellious against security workers, that policy is believed to be safer than the former hands-on-checking method.

"This policy is rather more secure than security workers using their hands to check someone; this we noticed was creating many suspicions as these people could easily be bribed by people with bad intentions. Other times they would get lazy hence not checking someone properly. There are also cases when some people refused to be checked.”

Asked whether the security workers are trained on the use of the facilities, Ibyamatware said their officers are given the requisite skills adding that for anyone to be deployed for this job; they are approved by the Rwanda National Police and are trained with the police’s mentorship.

"People should not think that someone is randomly picked and tasked to serve in such a position, because we believe it is such a critical and sensitive job to do which could put very many lives at stake. Therefore the companies work closely with Rwanda National Police to ensure that people deployed are well equipped”.

Long working hours, little pay 

One of the security guards who preferred to remain anonymous revealed that they work for over 10 hours mostly without a break since sometimes it is just one person manning a particular station.

"Basically my shift starts from 7:00 am to 6:00 pm, that’s a period of close to eleven hours without lunch or any break in the middle of that period”

However, sometimes it is much better when there are two guards at a particular station because that allows for one to go for a health break or lunch.

Security companies are regulated by the Rwanda National Police and some of the conditions to secure a license include having training grounds, syllabus and qualified trainers, internal rules and regulations, and standard operating procedures, among others.

ACP, Jean-Nepo Mbonyumuvunyi, the Acting Director of Infrastructure Security and Private Security Companies, acknowledged the challenges that facing security companies ranging from the welfare of security workers and unskilled staff deployed by the companies.

However, he added that there is a draft law that is in the offering to curb risks that could be as a result of poor service at public buildings.

As opposed to the former law, this law will enhance the welfare standards of security workers and increase fines for security companies that flout rules.

"We have heard of cases regarding some companies that don’t treat their employees well, cases where they work for long hours without a break, cases where they are given little pay and others that give their employees only one pair of uniform”. Mbonyumuvunyi said.

He added that on top of ensuring that workers are well catered for in their respective companies there will be an increase in fines to companies for poor services.

editor@newtimesrwanda.com