Police releases 400 impounded vehicles

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Police have released over 400 vehicles that were impounded on Monday.

On Friday, President Yoweri Museveni reinstated a full lockdown banning public and private transportation, and bringing down the curfew time to 7:00 pm from 9:00 pm. He announced that only essential workers like those in the health, utilities, security and media among others will be allowed on the road and noted further guidance will come from the Office of the Prime Minister.

However, many private vehicles were seen on the road in several parts of Kampala, hours after the president announced the new lockdown measures.

Most of the impounded cars were from areas of Kampala Metropolitan. According to the Kampala Metropolitan Police Deputy spokesperson, Luke Owoyesigirye, the police released the vehicles after cautioning the drivers. He says that police established that the impounded vehicles belonged to essential workers but lacked proper identification.

He says that since the government is yet to distribute stickers, the essential workers should move in branded company cars to avoid being inconvenienced by security personnel.

However, Owoyesigirye says that the police will not release the other fifty vehicles that were impounded on Monday.

According to Owoyesigirye, the owners were not essential workers. He adds that the vehicles shall be returned to their owners at the end of the lockdown.

Last week, the police impounded 376 private, public vehicles and 3,655 motorcycles for carrying passengers and violating curfew hours.

Fred Enanga said that some taxi drivers were arrested ferrying passengers from one district to another.

*****

URN