Kabahweza Kamugisha Allan
The newly installed drive-through scanner at Katuna One Stop Border Post is set for commissioning following the completion of site acceptance tests last week.
“We have tested the system’s start-up and shutdown times, the equipment’s ability to penetrate 300mm of steel, its ability to visually distinguish the same material with varying thickness, its ability to detect a 2mm-diameter suspended wire, and radiation safety for the operators and the environment, which were all positive,” said Jude Kakure Mugimba, a customs officer in the region.
Mugimba who was speaking during the site acceptance visit in Kabale district, explained that the tests were carried out to verify the scanner’s efficiency and effectiveness in detecting concealed items in cargo trucks.
Mugimba added that the tests are conducted in line with the World Customs Organization guidelines for procurement and disposal of NII equipment.
The scanner, which is the fourth in Uganda, has the ability to scan over 200 trucks per hour and transmit X-ray images to the CCMC in Kampala in real time.
According to Brian Ahimbisibwe, the supervisor of the Central Command and Monitoring Centre at URA, plans are under way to procure more scanners. Similar technologies are currently deployed at the border posts in Elegu, Busia and Malaba.
The adoption of NII has revolutionized customs operations, and they involve use of advanced technologies to examine cargo and containers without the need for physical inspection thus minimizing delays, operational costs and trade interruptions.
Nuctech Company Limited, a Chinese company, started the construction of the NII facility in July 2023.
