Soldiers guard Chinese traders

Kampala – Ugandan soldiers will be deployed shortly as security guards for businesses of mostly Chinese investors that have suffered a spate of robberies, the military said yesterday.

The East African country of 40 million people hosts a large number of Asian investors and workers, a sizeable portion of them from China, and their numbers has been growing in lock-step with China’s deepening stake in Africa.

Chinese businesses have put down roots in Uganda’s retail sector, where their competition has stoked local resentment – and light manufacturing.

Firms from China have also captured a large chunk of public infrastructure works in Uganda in recent years, taking advantage of large Chinese credit lines to the country.

Chinese companies are now developing two hydro-electric dams on the Nile river costing about $2 billion while others are building roads and an airport.

Ugandan military spokesperson Richard Karemire said soldiers would start offering security to Chinese investors in response to a recent series of attacks that have fuelled fear in the business community.

He did not say how many soldiers would be deployed as guards or give a time frame for the operation.