Police has arrested 22 people during running battles in Hoima town today.
The Police and Uganda Peoples Defense Forces (UPDF) officers engaged in running battles with hundreds of people including shop keepers, mechanics, Mobile money attendants, motorists and hardware shop operators who stormed the town centers to operate normal business.
The security operatives are chasing any one found moving aimlessly on the streets of Hoima town for defying the presidential directives on COVID-19.
They have also closed several shops found operating illegally on the various streets of Hoima town. Those arrested have been whisked to Hoima police station. As early as 9am most shops within the town center had been opened by the owners something that angered security operatives enforcing the directive.
What started as a normal day turned chaotic around mid-day when the security operatives led by Tomsom Mpabaisi, the OC Station at Hoima central police station stormed the town center and started arresting those defying the president Yoweri Kaguta Museveni’s directive of keeping shops locked.
By 3pm the running battles were ongoing in the areas of Kityatete, Lusaka, Main street, Old Tooro road, Wright road, Coronation road, Government road and Persy road among others.
Speaking briefly to Uganda Radio Network (URN), while carrying out the operation, Tomsom Mpabaisi, the officer in charge of Hoima central police station noted that they can not allow business to be operated as usual in the middle of the town center when the president directed that all shops, saloons, hardware shops among others must be closed and people should stay home as one of the measures to combat the Corona virus.
The News Editor ,Reporter at Kagadi Kibaale community Radio
