Two shot in enforcement of curfew in Wobulenzi

Wobulenzi, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Two people have been shot by Policemen during enforcement of the night curfew in Wobulenzi town council, Luwero district.

The injured have been identified as Ivan Ssepuuya aged 25 years a resident of Kigulu zone and Beatrice Nakitende aged 17, a resident of Kikoma zone in Wobulenzi town.

They were shot on Saturday evening at around 8:30 pm at the roadside market at Luwero stage in Wobulenzi town during the operations to enforce the curfew.

Isah Ssemwogerere the Savannah Regional Police Spokesperson says that during enforcement of curfew, the LCIII Chairperson of Wobulenzi Moses Ssebalamu mobilized residents to defy the Police directives to leave the market and attack Policemen.

Ssemwogerere adds that in response, Policemen shot in the air to disperse the crowd and in the process, the two people were injured.

Ssemwogerere says that the two were transferred to Mulago hospital for treatment. He notes that the Policemen who were in operation have been arrested and the local leaders who allegedly incited the people will be summoned to record statements over the incident.

It is reported that the chaos broke up after Ssebalamu protested against enforcement saying the vendors dealing in roasted chicken and food needed more time to sell their items.

Ssebalamu backed by vendors ganged up against policemen asking them to leave them to operate insisting that elsewhere shops are still open.

Efforts to reach to Ssebalamu for comment were unfruitful since he couldn’t pick our reporter’s repeated calls.

President Yoweri Museveni announced a national wide curfew from 7 pm to 5:30 am in a bid to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus and criminality.

However, during enforcement of curfew in Luwero district, several people have been shot dead, beaten and left injured in the operations.

In September this year, one person was shot dead by Police Constable David Obong and another critically injured in Busiika town council as he was enforcing the curfew.

On June 23 this year, Kassim Luyinda aged 30 years a Boda Boda rider at Ssemakula stage in Zirobwe town council died after he was hit by a gun bayonet at a police checkpoint mounted at Wakiso-Luwero border to enforce Presidential directive to restrict inter-district movements.

Another motorcyclist Frank Kagenyi Kiryowa a resident of Najjera in Wakiso district and is still waiting for justice to date.

Police arrested its own Police Constable Nicholas Muloni a traffic officer attached at Zirobwe Police Station and he was presented to the court on Wednesday this week over the shooting.

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