Police round up mentally ill people

Mentally ill people who were rounded up by police in Buwama Town on Wednesday. PHOTO BY SADAT MBOGO

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Concern. Operation followed numerous complaints from restaurant and shop operators that the mentally ill scare away their clients.

MPIGI. Police and local authorities in Buwama on Wednesday rounded up more than 20 mentally ill people who have been loitering in the town.
The officers battled with the mentally ill who resisted arrest but were overpowered and tied with ropes and later taken to Butabika National Mental Rehabilitation Hospital in Kampala for psychiatric assistance.
Mr Gregory Muwanga, the Buwama Sub-county chairperson, said the operation followed numerous complaints from restaurant and shop operators that the mentally ill scare away their clients.
He added that some of the mentally ill men beat up women and children, while others throw stones at passing vehicles on the Kampala-Masaka highway.

“Some urinate and defecate near eating places and residents couldn’t bear this anymore,” he said
Nine of the mentally ill persons were women.
Mr Muwanga attributed the increasing number of mentally ill people in the area to marijuana smoking, especially among the youth and sex workers.

“It is marijuana that disturbs them and it is so common among jobless youth, sex workers and some students. They take people’s property, pelt vehicles with stones and others rob residents using fake guns,” Mr Muwanga said.
Mr Ben Igama, the officer in charge of Buwama Police Station, said they would be subjected to psychiatric assessment and those found to be of sound mind would be charged with causing grievous bodily harm, assault and threatening violence.
He said some of the mentally ill persons beat up eight people and stabbed two others last week.