Hoima, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Sixty fishermen have been arrested in Hoima and Kikuube districts for defying the Covid-19 preventive guidelines. The fishermen were picked up while fishing on Lake Albert on Sunday night in violation of the curfew. The affected fishermen are from Kaiso, Kyehoro and Mbegu in …
Read More »Q&A: Africa’s coronavirus enigma
Abidjan, Ivory Coast | AFP | Three months ago, Africa recorded its first case of coronavirus, sparking fears that the world’s poorest and least-equipped continent faced a catastrophe. But so far, the virus has not come anywhere close to wreaking the same damage in Africa as in Europe and the US …
Read More »Volunteers fundraise to bail out residents arrested for disobeying Covid-19 directives
Lira, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | A group of volunteers in Lango and beyond have started collecting money to bail out 12 people who were arrested for violating the Covid-19 preventive guidelines. The 12 are part of 49 people who were arrested on April 9th, 2020 for breaching the nationwide curfew. …
Read More »480 arrested in Kampala for defying COVID-19 directives
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | 480 people have been arrested for defying the COVID-19 directives. They were arrested on Thursday in an operation by Joint Security Task Force- JTF commanded by Kampala Police commander, Commissioner of Police Moses Kafeero. Patrick Onyango, the Kampala Police Spokesperson said that the operation …
Read More »HRW slams Kenyan police ‘brutality’ during virus curfew
Nairobi, Kenya | AFP | Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Wednesday accused Kenyan police of killing at least six people and beating and extorting others while enforcing a dusk-to-dawn curfew imposed to halt the spread of the coronavirus. Kenya imposed the 7pm-5am lockdown from March 27. The rights watchdog said police …
Read More »Mukono residents brutalized by LDUs struggle to access treatment
Mukono, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Residents of Mukono who were brutalized by security personnel enforcing the curfew are struggling to access treatment. The curfew was declared by President Yoweri Museveni almost a week ago as a measure to control the movement of people at a time the country is battling …
Read More »12 police officers arrested for alleged torture in Lango
Lango, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | 12 police officers have been arrested in Lango sub-region for allegedly torturing and extorting money from civilians during the implementation of the curfew. Three officers arrested from Otuke district include the OC Station Ogwete Police outpost Julius Ocen, Patrick Ameny and constable Boniface Owiny. …
Read More »Enforcement of COVID-19 curfew provokes war memories in Acholi
Acholi, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The brutal enforcement of the 14 days’ curfew in Uganda has provoked memories of the over two-decade armed conflict between Government and rebels in the Acholi sub-region. This follows incidences of torture, looting and beating by Local Defense Unit (LDUs) and Police backed by Uganda …
Read More »Lack of protective equipment worry security personnel in Gulu
Gulu, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Lack of personal protective equipment is worrying security personnel enforcing public guidelines against COVID-19 in Gulu. Hundreds of armed police officers backed by Local Defense Units (LDU) personnel and Uganda People’s Defense Force – UPDF are enforcing the 14-days curfew to combat the pandemic …
Read More »Gulu residents brutalized by gangs under cover of COVID-19 curfew
Gulu, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | A group of armed youths masquerading as Local Defence Unit personnel are taking advantage of curfew to brutalize residents of Gulu Municipality in Northern Uganda. The curfew was declared by President Yoweri Museveni a week ago as a measure to control the movement of people …
Read More »