Gov’t Speaks Out on Spy Cameras Deployed on Ugandan Water Bodies

By Our Reporter

KAMPALA: Government has come out to clarify that the devices recently deployed on inland lakes are weather observing instruments. This dispels rumors that have been circulating on social media that the devices are spy cameras targeting different individuals.

President Museveni in 2020 promised to install surveillance cameras on the shorelines of lakes to monitor fishing activities.

 

The instruments commonly known as Buoys were placed in three Lakes namely Albert, Kyoga and Victoria.

A Buoy is an anchored float serving as a navigation mark, to show reefs or other hazards in the lake. These instruments are responsible for monitoring several parameters including rainfall, Air Temperature, Air pressure, Humidity, Visibility, Net and Solar Radiation, Wave Height, Wind Direction, Speed, Wave Width, Lake Current Speed/Direction, Lake Temperature, Water Currents below the surface, Dissolved Oxygen and Water Clarity among others.

Lillian Kwenge Principal Public relations officer, Uganda National Meteorological Authority (UNMA) says in a statement issued on Tuesday afternoon that the instruments were bought by the Ministry of Works and Transport in consultation with UNMA and have been placed in different locations in the three lakes.

In Lake Kyoga, one Buoy was deployed at Zengebe, in Lake Albert, two Buoys were placed at Panyimur and Kaiso and in Lake Victoria six Bouys were deployed at Lwanika, Kiyindi, Masese, Namba Emu, Kaazi and Misonzi.

“We would like to clarify to the public that these are completely weather observing instruments that are here to help us save lives and property of those who travel and work on the lake and they have nothing to do with the rumors that we have been seeing on social media that these are spying cameras that have been put on the lake to spy at different people, “clarified UNMA.

It says the instruments are one of the interventions that the government of Uganda is using to strengthen meteorological services in the country.

UNMA is a semi-autonomous government agency mandated to offer weather and climate services, and to analyze scientific research findings and provide guidance on climate change.