BUNYANGABU— Bunyangabu District chairman James Ategeka Mugarama has been arrested after he was caught on video slapping the area Resident District Commissioner, Ms Jane Asiimwe.
Ategeka is said to have lost his cool after temper after the RDC compelled him to park a government vehicle as per the presidential directive in the face of coronavirus.
In the video that went viral on Tuesday, March 31, Ategeka is seen exchanging words with Ms Asiimwe before he eventually slaps her. He is then restrains by the people nearby.
Jinja Road District Police Commander (DPC) Jackson Mucunguzi said Ategeka was locked up in a holding cell in line with social distancing as per the coronavirus pandemic guidelines.
According to Mucunguzi, the chairman is in a cell under SD REF22/30/03/2020 and will be charged with assault and defying government directives.
This comes after President Museveni on Monday night announced a government ban on gatherings of more than five people.
Also, except for cargo transporters (trains, lorries, pickups, etc), starting on Teuesday March 31, 2020 from 7pm, there will be a curfew across the whole of Uganda.
The exemption of cargo transporters does not apply to boda bodas.
Government vehicles will be pooled and moved to the district offices to be used for emergency situations, including delivering critical patients to hospitals, the president announced.
Government workers were ordered to stay at home for the 14 days, save for security agencies, health workers and a few other workers to be clearly communicated.
Uganda has registered 33 cases of Coronavirus in March and the government is looking to stem the spread by taking drastic action, arguing that if infections continue to rise, the healthcare system will quickly be overstretched.
