Kiryandongo District boss arrested over road hump protests

What you need to know:

  • UNRA said their maintenance team had already engaged the leaders and residents of the area and committed to doing interventions.

KIRYANDONGO

Riot police have arrested the Kiryandongo District LC5 Chairperson and six others in attempt to stop residents from protesting over the erection of road humps at Masindi Port trading Centre in Kiryandongo District.
Mr Charles Ntairohoki was arrested as he tried to engage the police in what he claimed was the last resort by both the Kiryandongo District Local Government Authorities and residents to reduce on the road carnage brought about by speeding motorists plying the Gulu- Kampala Highway.

He was bundled onto a waiting Police patrol car and whisked away as police lobbed teargas canisters in attempt to disperse the protesting residents.

Traffic at Masindi Port Town was paralysed for more than 30 minutes by the protesting residents who blocked the road using stones and tree trunks.
Earlier, the District Chairperson had explained to residents that his intervention was prompted by the delayed response to the residents’ woes who continue losing their dear ones in road carnage.

”We have since 2016 approached the Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) to have road humps erected at the different black spot areas where lives have been lost in the different road accidents. We have lost about 30 people in road accidents since the month of May 2018. We recorded one of the worsed accident when 22 people perished in a single accident at Nanda village on the Gulu-Kampala Highway. We cannot wait for another disaster simply because UNRA is not responding,” Ntairehoki said shortly before he was whisked away by police.

Earlier, Mr Ntairohoki said the district had mobilized sand, cement, stones, food among other items to boost the construction process for the road humps at 10 black spots which include Nanda, Masindi Port trading centre, Kigumba Town Council, Kiryandongo Town Council, Chopelwo village and Nyakagandwa village among areas.
Meanwhile, the Albertine Region Police Spokesperson, Mr Julius Allan Hakiza in an interview with the Daily Monitor said Mr Ntairohoki was taken to Masindi Central Police Station.

“The Road humps are supposed to be erected by Engineers from UNRA and the district engineers but not politicians. We are likely to charge him with inciting violence and convening unlawful assembly,” Mr Hakiza said on Monday.
UNRA Communication and Public Affairs officer, Mr Mark Ssali said their road maintenance team had already engaged the leaders and residents of the area and committed to doing interventions adding that the process to effect that is ongoing.