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Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Police have disclosed plans by boda boda riders to attack State House to compel President Yoweri Museveni to lift a ban on their operations.
Museveni restricted boda bodas to transportation of packages in March this year as part of the Covid-19 preventive measures. He also directed the riders to stop working by 5pm.
Taxis which were banned in the same order were allowed to resume operations, a thing that jolted boda boda riders prompting to question the rationale of allowing taxis that carry many passengers and refusing them who carry only one.
Now, the Kampala Metropolitan Police Spokesperson Patrick Onyango, says they have received intelligence information indicating the riders are mobilizing to attack state house.
On Monday, a group of boda boda riders petitioned High Court in Kampala to issue an order compelling government to lift the restrictions on their operations.
Onyango says that they have also started witnessing cases where the boda boda riders have become very aggressive towards security personnel.
He cited an incident at Lubigi along the Northern Bypass on Tuesday where over 80 boda boda riders blocked traffic with intentions of overpowering security personnel at the checkpoint.
Onyango said the officers quickly organized themselves and fired bullets in the air to disperse the mob. Five of them were arrested and had their motorcycles impounded. They are currently being held at Old Kampala police station.
“We want to caution the boda boda riders to adhere to curfew guidelines that were issued by the President. If they fail, we shall use the law and have them arrested and taken to court. The issue to allow them or not allow them is the issue of science not who demonstrates,” Onyango said.
Police have also warned taxi drivers to stop putting tint in their car windows. Onyango says they have got cases where taxi drivers who don’t want to follow the standard operating procedures issued by government like operating at half capacity are tinting their vehicles.
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