The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Over 200 boda boda riders in Kabale municipality took to the streets on Monday to protest extortion by security officers deployed to enforce the night-time curfew. The angry riders rode their bikes through Kabale town to Rwakaraba where they attacked a police checkpoint along Kabale-Kisoro road where they disbanded a security checkpoint and threw away the metallic barricades.
They rode to Makanga up to Nyakijumba where they attempted to disband another checkpoint along Ntungamo-Kabale highway. However, anti-riot police under the command of Henry Kisembo, the Kigezi Region Field Force Unit (FFU) commander swung into action and dispersed them with tear gas. The boda boda riders in Kabale say that whenever it clocks 6:00pm, police and military officers stage roadblocks targeting them.
They claim that the officers arrest and whip them before impounding their motorcycles for violating time restrictions imposed on their operations. As part of the COVID-19 control measures, President Yoweri Museveni restricted boda boda operations to 6pm. However, the riders say that security officers take advantage of the restriction to extort money from them.
According to the riders, the officers charge them between Shillings 20,000 to 200,000 to release their motorcycles. Some of the riders interviewed by URN such as Eliphaz Gumisiriza, Pius Tukwasiibwe and Edward Byaruhanga said that whenever they are arrested, soldiers and police officers ask them to pay Shillings 20,000 to release their motorcycles. They claim that whenever the motorcycle is taken to Kabale central police station, they are asked to pay between Shillings 100,000-200,000.
They wonder why security officers ask them for money that isn’t receipted.
Hillary Asasira, another boda boda rider said that he was intercepted by soldiers opposite Kabale police station last week around 7:00pm and was asked to pay Shillings 30,000 to continue operating or else forget his motorcycle. Asasira says that he weighed between losing his motorcycle and paying the money and decided to bribe the officers. Johnson Turyamureeba and Moses Tumusiime wonder why the officers have turned the curfew time operations into an avenue for minting cash.
Brian Ampeire, the Kabale District Police Commander wondered why the boda boda riders decided to demonstrate well knowing their operations are still restricted. He says police can’t sit back and watch the riders defying presidential directives.
According to Ampeire, the officers sometimes act the way they do because of some of the riders turn violent whenever they are intercepted.
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