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Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Security institutions have warned members of the public against resuming acts of attacking security officers who are enforcing the curfew time.
In Kampala metropolitan areas, police and UPDF say they have registered more than four incidents in the past one week of civilians attacking security personnel enforcing the curfew time that starts at 6:00pm for motorbikes and 7:00pm for all vehicles and persons, with intention of disarming or injuring them.
During the security press-briefing at Police headquarters Naguru-Kampala, Fred Enanga, the police spokesperson said over the weekend, a boda-boda rider Robert Jumba stabbed a Local Defence Unit personnel-LDU Paul Akol when he tried stopping him during curfew time at Keti Farawo in Kawempe division.
The suspect was eventually arrested and his motorcycle Reg no UEK 720B was impounded by another team of police officers from Kawempe police station who also rescued their colleague and rushed him to the nearby hospital in critical condition where he is still nursing injuries.
“When the LDU officer stopped him, he drew a knife from the jacket and stabbed him two times, but luckily enough, other officers were near and came to the rescue, they arrested him trying to flee after this incident, he was arrested, and our officer was rushed to Makuru health clinic where he is still undergoing medical treatment,” Enanga said.
Similarly, a boda–boda cyclist in Makindye division was lynched by a mob after he allegedly stabbed and seriously injured a police officer. The yet to be identified man reportedly attacked and stabbed police constable Ismail Menjar, who was on duty enforcing Covid-19 guidelines on curfew on Friday. UPDF Deputy Spokesperson Lt Col Ronald Kakurungu says that UPDF has continued registering incidents of people attempting to attack or attacking security patrols of night curfew enforcement teams especially in Kampala and Wakiso districts.
In Buziga-Gaba, Makindye-Ssabagabo in Wakiso district, a group of people who were found drinking attempted to disarm UPDF personnel at around 10:00pm when the enforcement officers raided the bar.
Kakurungu explains that the officers had to fire shots in the air to disperse the group. He however warns that these actions are dangerous because the officers will start responding in self defence.
“We continue to register cases of people attacking our teams during operations, others throwing stones at the patrollers, you can see how dangerous this is,” Kakurungu said. “In Gaba, the officers had to fire to disperse such hooligans, and in the process one person among them was injured.”
Enanga noted that most culprits of these acts are boda-boda riders and some people still going to bars flouting curfew time.
On 4th October, a DPC in Nsangi gunned down one person identified as John Kalumba on claims that he was among the group of people that attempted to attack him after finding them in one of the bars in Nsangi township.
President Yoweri Museveni acting on guidance from the ministry of health maintained the 6pm and 7pm curfew for motorcyclists and drivers respectively as one of the measures to contain the spread of COVID-19.
During last year’s lockdown, more than 70 attacks by civilians on security enforcement officers including those belonging to Uganda Police, UPDF and LDU’S were registered.
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