Police disperses vendors in Jinja for flouting Covid-19 guidelines

Jinja, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The police and UPDF soldiers on Monday engaged in running battles with vendors from Napier market who were selling second-hand clothes contrary to presidential COVID-19 directives.

They did not have face masks and were not maintaining physical distancing.

The vendors had displayed their merchandise on the pedestrians’ walkways prompting the police and UPDF soldiers to disperse them.

Ronald Musiiba, a vendor says that authorities have failed to lobby food items for vendors who were affected by the lockdown. He says that they resolved to open their businesses as a means of saving their livelihoods irrespective of the presidential directives.

Musa Kazungu, another vendor says that government should devise means of lifting the lockdown from the markets as part of their stock is expiring in the storage facilities.

Kazungu adds that, save for lack of food, most vendors lack funds to service their loans and the continued stay away from their workplaces will affect their financial strength to sustain the already struggling business enterprises.

George Musinguzi, the UPDF spokesperson in Busoga sub-region says that the numbers within the market were overwhelming and they came in to boost police operations.

Musinguzi further advised vendors to patiently wait for the presidential guidance in his phased lifting of the lockdown.

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