41 arrested over Jinja protests

Jinja, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Police in Kiira region on Monday evening confirmed the arrest of 41 youths who are accused of being involved in the protests within Jinja city and Jinja district at large.

The suspects are currently detained at different gazetted police stations within the Kiira policing area.

34 suspects were arrested from different highway points in Jinja city, four suspects were arrested from Kakira town council while three others were arrested from Buwenge town council.

The suspects are said to have been part of the bigger group of youths who spent the better part of the day in running battles with security personnel.

The youths held protests over the increasing commodity prices, citing what they called the government’s failure to provide short-term solutions to address the situation.

They placed logs and lit old tyres in the different trading centers along both the Jinja-Kamuli and Jinja-Iganga highways, blocking traffic throughout the day.

The youths further attacked motorcyclists, passengers and drivers alike, whom they accused of declining to join their protest and forcefully bypassing the stationed road blocks.

While addressing journalists on Monday evening, the Kiira regional police spokesperson James Mubi said that the suspects were engaged in unlawful activities like robbery, illegal blockage of traffic, taking part in unlawful assembly, malicious damage and economic sabotage, which largely interrupted the smooth operability of other activities in the city and surrounding areas.

Mubi further accused what he termed selfish individuals of fueling these ongoing protests for their individual gains.

Mubi stresses that the suspects are facing several counts ranging from inciting violence, public nuisance to robbery.

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