Arrest police officers who fail to enforce Covid-19 guidelines – Lumumba

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The National Resistance Movement-NRM party Secretary General, Justine Kasule Lumumba has implored the Uganda Police leadership to arrest politicians found violating the Covid-19 preventive guidelines issued by the Health Ministry.

Speaking to news reporters at the NRM secretariat at Plot 10 Kyadondo Road in Kampala, Lumumba said the police shouldn’t just look on as NRM members hold public rallies and processions against the government guidelines on gatherings and social distancing.

She said any police officer who fails to ensure that no guidelines are flouted should instead be arrested. Lumumba’s comments follow a video circulating on social media showing supporters of Koboko Municipality MP, Evelyn Anite in a procession in violation of the Health Ministry guidelines.

Anite is not the only one who has been caught on the wrong side of the law, her counterpart in the Ministry of Health, Dr. Ruth Aceng, Prof. Ephraim Kamuntu, the Minister for Justice and Constitutional Affairs, the speaker of parliament, Rebecca Kadaga, Minister Charles Engola, NRM vice chairman for eastern region, Captain Mike Mukua, have all at one point been caught on camera violating the rules especially on gatherings and social distancing.

Lumumba wants the police leadership to arrest any District Police Commander who fails to ensure that no such gatherings or public rallies are held. She says according to the constitution of Uganda, no one, not even a minister is above the law.

Using the same event, Peter Ogwang, the State Minister for Information and National Guidance called upon NRM politicians to be an example to other political contenders by respecting the guidelines.

Like Lumumba, he said, police should swing in action by arresting anybody who is found flouting the Covid-19 rules because they are trying to expose the country to a pandemic that has devastated even wealthy nations.

NRM is in the process of conducting party primaries for all the elective national positions. The party is also in the process of filling eight of its positions on the Central Executive Committee, the second highest policy organ of the party.

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