G4S Uganda has undertaken a significant contract to provide security for a fish farm situated on the shores of Lake Victoria.
This site, located in Buikwe and operated by Yalelo—one of Sub-Saharan Africa's prominent aquaculture enterprises—produces 8,400 tonnes of tilapia annually. The company plans to expand production to 30,000 tonnes.
Comprehensive security measures
The security company ensures the safety of the entire aquaculture operation, which involves resources on both land and water. This encompasses the protection of fish hatchery systems, storage facilities, logistical support structures, pond management zones, animal conservation areas, and water access points.
According to Fred Mugenyi, G4S Uganda's Chief Operating Officer, “The dual nature of the contract requires operational flexibility and demands a higher level of training, discipline and situational awareness.” Security personnel must adapt to various environments, including shoreline conditions and open water patrols.
Supporting aquaculture investments
G4S is tasked with monitoring these hatcheries, along with cage preparation
G4S's role extends beyond preventing unauthorised access; it also involves safeguarding biological production cycles and specialised infrastructures while ensuring environmental compliance. The production process starts on land, where fingerlings are reared under controlled conditions. G4S is tasked with monitoring these hatcheries, along with cage preparation, feed storage, and other critical areas, to prevent contamination.
Once the fish mature, they are relocated to cages designated in the lake for large-scale growth. “The farm is surrounded by marine life and submerged areas, making aquatic security both essential and technically demanding,” Fred further explains. These cages demand constant surveillance to prevent theft and unauthorised boat access, alongside environmental monitoring. Post-harvesting, fish are transported to processing facilities, where G4S safeguards the final product and oversees loading and dispatch activities to avert theft or tampering. Structured access control and crowd management are also under their supervision, with around 150 operational staff working at the farm daily.
Marine security and training
To address challenges inherent in water-based operations, each security officer undergoes swimming proficiency testing, water safety instruction, marine patrol orientation, and wildlife handling training. Night-time patrols are conducted by boat to heighten security.
Fred states, “This synchronised land-water security model demonstrates G4S’s ability to manage multi-dimensional, high-risk environments. It’s a partnership grounded in trust and operational excellence.”
Complex terrain, water proximity and wildlife are just some of the considerations that G4S Uganda had to account for when it recently took on a contract to secure a fish farm on the shores of Lake Victoria.
The site in Buikwe is owned by Yalelo, one of the largest aquaculture companies in Sub-Saharan Africa, and produces 8,400 tonnes of tilapia fish annually. Plans are underway to scale this up to 30,000 tonnes.
Logistical support structures
G4S secures the entire production life cycle, covering assets both on land and in water. This includes fish hatchery systems, storage facilities, shops and logistical support structures, pond management areas, animal conservation zones and water access points.
“The dual nature of the contract requires operational flexibility and demands a higher level of training, discipline and situational awareness,” says Fred Mugenyi, chief operating officer at G4S Uganda. “Our security officers must adapt to shoreline conditions, open water patrol coordination and more.”
Safeguard biological production cycles
“Critically, we are supporting a high value aquaculture investment. Our role is not just to prevent unauthorised access but to safeguard biological production cycles, protect specialised infrastructure and maintain environmental compliance standards.”
The production cycle begins on land where fingerlings are bred and raised in hatches under controlled conditions. G4S monitors the hatchery facilities, cage preparation areas, feed storage and equipment zones, among other areas. Given the biological sensitivity of this environment, strict monitoring is required to prevent contamination.
Structured access control
Once matured, the fish are transferred into cages for further growth which are later positioned into the lake in designated zones for larger scale cultivation. “The farm is surrounded by marine life and submerged areas, making aquatic security both essential and technically demanding,” adds Fred.
These cages require continuous monitoring to ensure protection against theft, unauthorised boat access and, again, environmental observation. Once harvesting from the cages is complete, the fish are transported to the processing facility where they are cleaned and prepared for distribution. Here, G4S is responsible for protection of the finished products, and monitoring load and dispatch procedures to prevent theft or tampering. With approximately 150 operational staff working within the farm daily, G4S also manages structured access control and crowd flow.
Marine patrol orientation
To address the risks of water-based operations, every security officer undergoes a swimming proficiency test, water safety training, marine patrol orientation and wildlife handling procedures. At night, when the risk is heightened, security officers will patrol the site via a boat.
Fred says: “This synchronised land-water security model demonstrates G4S’s ability to manage multi-dimensional, high-risk environments. It’s a partnership grounded in trust and operational excellence.”
