The Capacity and Effectiveness of Private Security Agencies in Providing Security in Uganda: A Case if Saracen Uganda Ltd and G4s Security Services Uganda Ltd.

The study aimed at assessing the capacity of two private security agencies providing security in Uganda, assessing the effectiveness and problems faced by the two security agencies. Respondents from Saracen (U) Ltd and G4S personnel were selected using purposive sampling technique while the respondents from private security companies’ clients were selected using random population sampling technique. The study used a case study design and survey design in which the researcher thoroughly studied a relatively small number of Private Security Agencies. The survey study design helped to obtain data from respondents who are consumers of protection services in the community. The study found out that the majority of private security clients have hired both armed and unarmed private security personnel for different reasons of which the unarmed personnel sit at the reception to receive and guide visitors of their offices while the armed private security agencies are supposed to maintain peace and security at the premise. The study recommends that if the private security agencies are to achieve excellence in private security services, both Saracen (U) Ltd and G4S should equip all guards with all the necessary equipment to guards as well as consulting the Uganda police specially to establish if the ex-service men and women they want to recruit were honourably discharged from the army and have no criminal records to avoid making private security agencies a hide out for criminals among others.