Why situational awareness is your best lifesaver in today’s Uganda

COMMENT | MATHIAS RUKUBA | In today’s fast-paced world, many of us are so consumed by our daily routines and the struggle to make ends meet that we forget to stay mindful of the environment around us. This is especially dangerous in Uganda, where most people live in unpredictable environments and crime patterns continue to evolve. Situational awareness, your ability to detect, interpret, and respond to potential threats, is no longer optional. It is a personal security requirement, a mindset, and a survival skill.

Being aware of your surroundings, recognizing suspicious behaviour, and taking proactive steps to mitigate risks can be the difference between safety and danger. Today’s security challenges demand not only stronger security systems but also a more conscious and vigilant society.

Why Situational Awareness Matters More Than Ever

Effective security management is built on a comprehensive understanding of evolving threats. The rise in criminal activities across communities armed robberies, bag snatching, fraudsters, thugs, cybercrime, and street conmen – shows that public security alone cannot guarantee 100% safety. Even with private security companies complementing public forces, the challenge remains; however, data shows that communities with higher private security presence experience about 30% lower crime rates compared to those relying solely on public forces.

Still, response delays and resource limitations mean citizens must voluntarily play an active role in crime prevention. Being one another’s keeper is no longer a slogan; it is a survival strategy.

Technology: A Blessing and a Silent Threat

While technology has transformed communication, business, and public awareness, it has also contributed to rising risks. People are losing mindfulness of their surroundings due to:

• Phone distraction
• Headsets blocking ambient sound
• Social media obsession
• Overreliance on public Wi-Fi
• Using public USB charging stations
• Sharing personal information carelessly

Cybercriminals have already exploited public USB charging points and unsecured Wi-Fi networks by installing malicious software capable of infiltrating phones and accessing sensitive data, including online accounts, mobile money apps, and personal contacts.

The media, especially smartphones and social platforms has become useful for sensitization, turning the world into a single globalized space. But when misused, it diverts attention from real-world threats that require immediate response.

Many Ugandans still fall victim in areas where crime has happened repeatedly simply because they ignore trends, fail to assess risks, or underestimate criminal behaviour.

Dangerous Trends: Where Vulnerability Begins

I have observed a growing pattern that undermines personal security across all levels:

• People glued to their phones in unsafe zones
• Drivers distracted by music, calls, or video content
• Pedestrians walking with headsets during peak-hours
• Boda riders navigating traffic while live-streaming
• Parents failing to monitor children in public spaces
• Individuals unaware of suspicious vehicles trailing them

Criminals are increasingly using tactics of concealment, deception, and obstruction to execute their missions. Combined with widespread economic pressure, today’s security landscape is more unpredictable and complex than ever. Vigilance has become a choice, and choosing wrong may carry a heavy price.

Lessons from Greater Kampala Metropolitan

In 2024 there was a shooting in Ntinda; a businessman was attacked near a shopping center after stepping aside to take a phone call. The criminals had been trailing him, but he was too distracted to notice. His lack of situational awareness made him an easy target.

Also, in Kasangati a businessman was killed in a robbery (Aug 2025). Deo Bwanika, was shot dead at his mini-supermarket along Nangabo Road late at night when masked men posing as customers demanded money, then opened fire as he tried to react. His employee was also wounded. The shop was open late; the victim was likely tired and possibly off guard – a vivid example of how criminals exploit routine business operations after dark. Multiple residents reported being ambushed in recent Kasangati robberies while scrolling through their phones during late evening walks. Criminals exploited their distraction, grabbing bags, phones, and, in some cases, firing warning shots.

In May 2025, at around 04:00hours, two assailants stormed a petrol station (Chard Energy petrol station) in Katosi Road, Mukono. They brutally hacked two security guards to death while they slept, stole their firearm (with live ammunition), then used it to rob attendants of cash and phones. The attack happened very early in the morning when guards and attendants may let their guard down, trusting the station’s “safety”. This shows how criminals exploit low-visibility hours and assumed safety.  Several motorists were robbed along Mukono Highway after stopping to respond to phone messages or adjust their music systems. Attackers used the momentary distraction to strike, breaking windows and taking valuables.

Other well-coordinated robberies and attacks in recent reports along Mukono–Seeta highway corridor indicate a gang carrying out coordinated armed robberies, phone snatching, home break-ins, and attacks along the busy highway and neighbouring villages at night. Residents say the attacks are increasingly organised, with thieves using motorcycles, pangas, guns and pre-planning, striking fast before victims or bystanders can react. This corridor shows how even busy, “well-known” routes can become dangerous, especially at night, contradicting assumptions of safety in familiar places.

Kireka and Banda have become mugging spots, where pedestrians who walked with headsets on or were deeply engaged in calls were targeted. Many victims reported not hearing criminals approach from behind.

In all these cases, criminals did not overpower the victims through force alone; they exploited moments of low awareness.

• Criminals exploit routines, especially “safe” routines
  In the Kasangati and Mukono incidents, shop owners, guards, and attendants were simply doing routine work closing shop, sleeping on duty, and servicing clients, yet criminals struck. Routine breeds complacency.
• Attacks often happen at times of low visibility or during distractions
  Early morning, late night, or dark hours (when victims may be tired, distracted, or assume low risk) are favorite times for criminals.
• Use of deception and disguise
  In the Kasangati case, the assailants posed as customers, blending in before attacking. In other cases, gangs use motorcycles, cover their faces, and ride in groups, making detection harder.
• Threats are evolving; weapons stolen from one crime fuel another
  The gun stolen in a 2024 robbery in Mukono was reportedly used across multiple districts, meaning one lapse can fuel many subsequent crimes.

However, when these incidents occur, we should learn the importance of vigilance & awareness.

• Don’t assume familiar places (home neighbourhood, shop, petrol station, busy road) are safe; criminals exploit that assumption.
• Avoid high-risk periods: late at night, early morning, or poorly lit environments. If you must operate during those hours work in pairs/groups, avoid being alone, keep emergency contacts.
• Be cautious even when interacting with “customers”, “clients”, or strangers; criminals may impersonate harmless persons.
• Treat any weapon theft or robbery reports seriously; a stolen gun anywhere in the metropolitan network can endanger many.
• Do not rely solely on guards or security companies’ personal alertness; community vigilance and readiness to escape or react are critical first lines of defense.

Situational Awareness Begins with You

Situational awareness is everyone’s responsibility. It must begin in your home and extend to the roads, workplaces, taxis, shopping centers, at worship, and every public space you visit. It is not just a security skill; it is a lifesaver.

✔ Stay informed about local security alerts
✔ Trust your instincts, if it feels wrong, leave immediately
✔ Avoid unnecessary distractions (phones, headsets, tinted windows up in dangerous spots)
✔ Observe patterns, vehicles following you, slow-moving boda bodas, loitering individuals
✔ When driving, use your mirrors frequently and maintain escape routes
✔ When walking, stay alert to suspicious individuals or vehicles
✔ Carry a contact for emergency security backup
✔ Report any suspicious activity, early reporting saves lives

By prioritizing situational awareness, you take control of your personal security. You reduce risks, detect threats early, and avoid being caught off guard. It is a skill that improves with practice, and it is the most accessible security tool available to every Ugandan.

Stay alert. Stay aware. Stay safe this December

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Mathias Rukuba is a Security Management Advisor & Security Consultant

+256773061600