VZCZCXRO2186
RR RUEHGI RUEHRN RUEHROV
DE RUEHKM #1025/01 2530712
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 100712Z SEP 09
FM AMEMBASSY KAMPALA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1754
INFO RUCNIAD/IGAD COLLECTIVE
RUEHXR/RWANDA COLLECTIVE
RHMCSUU/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KAMPALA 001025 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: ENRG EMIN EPET PARM TRGY UG
SUBJECT:  NNSA ASSISTING UGANDA IN BUILDING RADIOLOGICAL 
SEALED-SOURCE STORAGE FACILITY 
 
¶1.  (U) Summary: An August 24-26 visit from U.S. officials from the 
National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) is the latest step 
in a joint U.S.-Ugandan response to the theft of radiological 
material from a storage area at Mulago Hospital in Kampala in 2007. 
The objective of this effort is to enhance the radiological security 
capability of the Ugandan government through training and 
infrastructure development.   With Uganda taking concrete steps to 
increase its regulatory and administrative capabilities, and 
increasing numbers of disused cancer treatment machines and 
geological equipment with small amounts of radiological material, 
NNSA has offered to help finance the construction of a permanent 
radiological source storage site.  End Summary. 
 
------------------------------------------ 
Background: Theft of Radiological Material 
------------------------------------------ 
 
¶2.  (U) Uganda has a small but growing number of radiological 
sources in country for industrial and medical purposes.  The largest 
of these sealed sources are a cancer-treatment machine at Mulago 
(Kampala) and a disused source at St Mary's Lacor (Gulu) hospitals. 
Other smaller sources include calibration sources, well-logging 
sources, and road-construction moisture density measurement 
equipment.  Further, the recent discovery of oil in western Uganda 
will likely result in the importation of additional devices with 
radiological sources. 
 
¶3.  (U) In 2002 and 2003, two orphan sources of Cesium 137 and 
Cobalt 60 were confiscated from illicit traffickers.  These and 
other spent sources were stored in a 3 foot by 4 foot stand alone 
storage area at Mulago Hospital.  Security at this storage area was 
limited to a padlock with no electronic-surveillance equipment.  In 
July 2007, thieves broke into the storage area and stole 
radiological sources placed there for safe keeping.  Local 
authorities suspect the thieves were simply looking for something of 
value and were unaware of the radiological nature of the items 
taken. 
 
---------- 
NNSA Visit 
---------- 
 
¶4.  (U) This theft brought Uganda to the attention of the 
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the NNSA. 
Representatives from the NNSA first visited Uganda in 2008 to assist 
in developing the capability to manage Uganda's medical and 
industrial nuclear and radiological material.  Concrete steps taken 
thus far include: 
 
-- Installation of security systems on the Mulago Hospital storage 
area and the cancer-treatment machines at Mulago and St Mary's Lacor 
Hospitals. 
 
-- Training of personnel to search for, identify, and recover 
disused radiological sources. 
 
-- Development of an initial inventory of known nuclear and 
radiological source material in Uganda. 
 
-- Passage of the Atomic Energy Act, 2008 in Parliament. 
 
-- Development of an Atomic Energy Council, made up of academics and 
medical and industry experts, to act as a national regulator for 
nuclear science and technology. 
 
¶5.  (U) With these steps already in place, NNSA representatives 
Michael Itamura and Michael Strosinski again visited Uganda August 
24-26 to discuss next steps and areas of collaboration with the 
Uganda Ministry of Energy and the Atomic Energy Council.  The main 
thrust of the visit was a discussion on building of a permanent 
radiological material storage facility with funding from NNSA.  The 
current storage area at Mulago Hospital is insufficient for current 
needs, not to mention estimated future increases in disused 
radiological material. 
 
¶6. (SBU) NNSA representatives said the return of relative calm to 
northern Uganda offered a chance to remove a disused/broken cancer 
treatment machine from the hospital in Gulu.  The machine cannot be 
moved, however, until Uganda has a new storage facility with enough 
space to safely secure it. 
 
¶7. (U) To move this facility forward, the Atomic Energy Council must 
first develop a complete inventory of nuclear and radiological 
sources in Uganda and an estimate of future sources.  Uganda's 
current inventory includes only 24 sources - a relatively low number 
that likely indicates the existence of many unrecorded/unregistered 
items. Further, the Atomic Energy Council must acquire land for a 
new storage facility and obtain all necessary environmental and 
regulatory clearances from the Government of Uganda (GOU).  NNSA 
 
KAMPALA 00001025  002 OF 002 
 
 
will then assist with the funding of an appropriate storage facility 
based on the current and estimated future needs in Uganda. 
 
------- 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶6.  (SBU) The theft of radiological material in 2007 brought the 
issue of unsecured radiological material in Uganda to the attention 
of the GOU, the IAEA, and the NNSA.  The actions undertaken thus far 
by the GOU with the assistance of the NNSA show a strong initial 
commitment to enhanced regulation and security of radiological 
materials in Uganda.  With the discovery of oil and the development 
of the oil industry in the Albertine Rift, Uganda faces an increase 
in imported industrial nuclear and radiological material for 
geological measurement purposes, resulting in an eventual increase 
in disused sources in need of proper storage.  The successful 
development of a strong and capable regulatory authority will enable 
this material to assist Uganda's economic growth without creating a 
security threat in East Africa.  This cable was cleared with the 
Department of Energy. 
 
LANIER