Atomic Energy Council from November 27th until 29th 2023 pitched Camp at Acholi-Inn Hotel in Gulu City to ensure Northern Uganda Regional stakeholders like the Media, Medical Workers, and Police get training on Nuclear Safety, Security, and Peaceful Application in Uganda.
The listed stakeholders all had each day separate briefing respectively from November,27th by the experts from Atomic Energy Council as of the Atomic Energy Act (AEA),2008, Act No.24, Cap.143, which authorizes the Council to regulate peaceful applications and safety of individuals, society and the environment from the dangers resulting from ionizing radiation.
Led by their Chief Executive Officer, Noah Deogratias Luwalira, they informed the journalists mobilized from the Region that it’s their responsibility to always seek clarity from the Council in case there is any story related to Nuclear Safety or security including any other related matter within the scope and mandate of the council so that misinformation is fought.
Lydia Khalayi the Senior Cooperate Communications Officer of the Atomic Energy Council said the Council over the years had invested in training stakeholders like the Media, and the Police in Central and Western Uganda and they thought the awareness campaign on nuclear energy and safety should also be accessed by regional stakeholders.
Over 70 Journalists benefitted from the training and got contacts from nuclear energy experts for future collaborations.
The Council also trained over 100 senior police officers on nuclear security and radioactive materials to boost the fight against insecurity in the country.
Their training was to boost the capacity of the police to be able to combat illicit trafficking in nuclear and other radioactive materials, detection of radioactive materials and also its danger to the public.
The officers trained include criminal investigation officers, District Police Commanders, Regional Police Commanders and Regional Community Liaison Officers among others.
The officers were from the North Kyoga Region, Aswa East and West Regions and also the Albertine Region.
To this, Deogratias Noah Luwalira, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Atomic Energy Council, said the training was intended to strengthen the national capacity in nuclear safety and security in order to defend the population from threats.
According to Luwalira, now that the country is embracing nuclear technologies they thought it wise to train police since the technologies come with adverse effects.
Audio File One: Luwalira on Training -Eng
Commissioner of Police, Deo Obura, the North Kyoga Region Police Commander, said it is a timely training because most of their officers were green about radioactive materials, something that has made it difficult for them to detect and prevent its circulation in the market.
He thanked the Atomic Energy Council for considering training them on nuclear security and radioactive material urging the trained officers to share the knowledge they have got with the junior officers so that they can prevent crimes and the mishandling of the materials.
Audio File two: Obura on training-Eng
Nuclear security deals with the prevention and detection of, and response to, theft, sabotage, unauthorized access, illegal transfer or other malicious acts involving nuclear material, other radioactive substances or their associated facilities.
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