Uganda Police Arrest 105 Traders in Mukono for Opening up Shops during COVID 19 Lockdown

By: Hassan Bulesa

Police in Mukono has carried out an operation and arrested people who had opened shops and bars and those who were driving without stickers from the Ministry of works and Transport.

This operation was led by Assistant Commissioner of Police who is also the deputy commander of Kampala Metropolitan Dennis Namuwooza. They started in Mukono Town where they have been closing all non food shops following the Presidential directive.

In Kikooza viillage in Mukono Municipality, they have arrested some people who deal in scrap after police found with them electricity transmission wires, UN stamps and electricity meter box and failed to explain on where they got them from.

There has also been an LDU found escorting a Chinese national in a car without a movement sticker.

Some of the arrested persons where bitter about police arresting them yet the President allowed the whole sale shops to operate and they asked the President to come out and clarify on this matter as soon as possible.

Talking to The Scribe News some of the residents say that most of the people are currently poor to the extent of not having food and that is the reason why they opened up their businesses to get food for their families and told police that instead of arresting them let government give them food. “we even thought they have brought for us food but instead they have come to arrest us” a resident added. Most people were heard chanting mutuwe akawunga meaning “give us posho”.

The LC 1 Chairperson Kikooza village Kimbowa Ssonko was dissatisfied by the way police held this operation citing that police must have understood first why people have decided to come back for business instead of doing what he called a fake operation. They would have involved us the local leaders but instead they have arrested everybody including those found at their homes. Kimbowa noted.

He argued government to provide food to his residents instead of putting them to a high risk of covid19 since even the process of arrest is at high risk because police does not consider social distancing of the arrested suspects.

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