Christmas: More than 100 arrested in bars in Kisoro

Kisoro, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | More than 100 people spent their Christmas night in police cells for violating the COVID-19 preventive measures. The suspects were picked up in a joint security operation led by Captain Peter Mugisha, the Kisoro Resident District Commissioner, his deputy Dan Ndikumwami, and Henry Kintu, Kisoro District Police Commander targeting bars.

Ndikumwami told our reporter that security swung in action after receiving information at around 11:00pm that Club Hills, a popular hangout was filled to capacity with revelers drinking alcohol and dancing to loud music. He says that they stormed the hangout and found people partying freely in violation of the ban on all places of social gatherings as part of the COVID-19 containment measures.

Ndikumwami says that when asked why they were violating the ban on social gatherings, the administrators of Club hills and revealers abused them and closed themselves inside. He says that it took security about five hours to gain access to the club by cutting the padlocks. According to the RDC, prior to the Christmas festivities, the security and district COVID-19 task force had warned bar owners against reopening without authorization.

Henry Kintu, Kisoro District Police Commander says the suspects are locked up at Kisoro police station pending their court appearance. The arrest comes at a time when Uganda is battling a surge in COVID-19 cases. The latest test results released by the Ministry of Health on Christmas showed that 1,242 people had been newly infected.

This was the first time since September for the country to register more than a thousand new cases in a single day.  The national COVID-19 task force led by the Prime Minister, Robinah Nabbanja is expected to hand over a status report to President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni on Monday.

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