KCCA law enforcement officers failing to maintain SOPs

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Kampala Capital City Authority-KCCA law enforcement officers are struggling to maintain standard operating procedures – SOPs while carrying out their duties in the city.

The officers working with police often engage in running battles with vendors who operate illegally on the streets of Kampala. During operations, they confiscate merchandise and arrest the vendors.

However, while carrying out operations, these come into close contact with the said offenders. They touch them during arrest and sit close to them on trucks after arrest transporting them to City Hall Court.

This defeats the physical distancing guideline issued by the Ministry of Health as Uganda fights COVID-19. The guideline recommends a distance of at least 2 meters between people such that if one is infected with the coronavirus, the others do not pick it from them. The failure to meet the guideline exposes both the officers and the vendors they interact with and other people thereafter.

Also, although some officers have masks and gloves, the vendors with whom they come into contact are rarely wearing masks and have no gloves. Government directed that all people wear masks while coming into the public domain but many are reluctant to do so. This further exposes the officers and vendors.

The Acting Deputy Executive Director of KCCA, Sam Sserunkuma says it is inevitable to come into close contact with the arrested people and yet during arrest, you can’t demand of a culprit to wear a mask or wash hands before getting onto the truck.

Sserunkuma also adds that they do not have enough vehicles to transport officers and the arrested people while maintaining social distancing.

He urged the officers to be cautious and always do what they can like wearing masks and gloves to protect them from catching the virus.

This situation is not unique to KCCA officials and the police they deal with. The same happens with other security officials when dealing with people said to have broken the law especially protesters who often to resist arrest.

Dr. Monica Musenero a consultant epidemiologist says there is no scientific way of conducting an arrest. She says people should avoid getting on the wrong side of the law to protect themselves from exposure to COVID-19.

Few days ago Uganda registered its first COVID-19 death.

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