KAMPALA — With increasing number of vehicular traffic movements particularly during curfew hours, Police have warned motorists that stern action will be taken if they are found moving during curfew, one of the Covid-19 containment rules.
Kampala Metropolitan Area Spokesperson Patrick Onyango said police is planning to reinstate all curfew check points and that all vehicles will be stopped starting 21:00hrs.
“We are witnessing people starting to violate the curfew hours. Today, plan your journey early,” Mr. Onyango said.
It is not clear whether similar actions will also be initiated against those persons seen moving in public without face masks and not following social distancing.
Police recently issued another blunt warning that organising, hosting or attending house parties was now breaking the law.
Uganda has been under lockdown and night curfew for the last six months.
After President Museveni in March declared curfew to contain further spread of coronavirus, there have been several reports of security agencies breaking into people’s homes and battering them in the pretext of enforcing the presidential directives in different parts of the country.
However, the president later said it is okay for people to drink from their homes and also warned security personnel especially the Local Defence Unit (LDUs) and Police against misinterpreting his directives on enforcement of the lockdown.
The President also warned the Police against hooliganism during night-time operations after reports that of some of them stormed people’s houses and beat occupants.
The United Nations human rights chief recently warned countries flouting the rule of law in the name of fighting the novel coronavirus pandemic risk sparking a “human rights disaster”.
“Emergency powers should not be a weapon governments can wield to quash dissent, control the population, and even perpetuate their time in power,” she warned in a statement.
“They should be used to cope effectively with the pandemic – nothing more, nothing less.”
