The Inspector General of Police, Martin Ochola, has given the green light for 970 venues across Uganda to host end-of-year fireworks on Sunday night.
These venues include churches, bars, clubs, restaurants, hotels, guest houses, and tourism sites, as cleared by the Directorate of Operations Services (OPS), headed by Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIGP) John Nuwagira. The number of approved venues may increase as more applications are still under consideration.
To ensure safety and compliance with guidelines, Ochola has directed Regional Police Commanders, District Police Commanders, Division Police Commanders, and Officers in Charge Stations to visit the approved venues.
The guidelines mandate that the venues have sufficient space for fireworks display, are away from flammable substances, and not located in congested residential areas. Each venue should also have at least 10 fire extinguishers and well-defined entrance and exit routes.
Police Spokesperson Fred Enanga, speaking on behalf of IGP Ochola and AIGP Nuwagira, emphasized that police commanders have been instructed to cancel any fireworks display at venues that fail to meet the set guidelines.
The guidelines aim to prevent a recurrence of the tragic incident at Freedom City last year, where 11 people lost their lives during a stampede at the end of the fireworks display.
Eight authorized companies will distribute the fireworks for this year’s celebrations, including Fesco Ltd, Extremes Events Services Ltd, Sky Flames (U) Ltd, Light Africa Uganda Ltd, Tomil Fireworks Ltd, Goshen Africa Ltd, and Fireworks 7000.
The IGP has stressed the importance of collaboration between police commanders and other security agencies to ensure a peaceful New Year’s Day celebration.