Kampala streets cleared as police order vendors to go home

Police officers chase away traders who had turned up at Kikuubo trading centre, Kampala this morning. Photo | Michael Kakumirizi

By  Monitor Team

What you need to know:

  • Some traders who had turned up at Kikuubo trading centre, found the buildings locked and while some willingly went back home, others kept around which forced the police to chase them away.

Security agencies on Saturday deployed to enforce government measures announced by President Museveni on Friday evening to contain the spread of the deadly coronavirus.

Several traders and vendors who were found in the central business district Saturday morning were ordered to go home.

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Some traders who had turned up at Kikuubo trading centre, found the buildings locked and while some willingly went back home, others kept around which forced the police to chase them away.

Police officers also ordered fruit vendors to leave the streets downtown Kampala.

Mr Museveni on Friday declared a total lockdown after the country registered 234 deaths in the last one month.

“Kikuubo and other business centres should be closed. Those Kikuubo places are very dangerous. But the food markets should remain open, but the sellers should camp there,” he directed.

‘‘All cross boundary and inter-district movement of public or private transport is banned for 42 days starting June 18 (10pm local time). The movement of persons needs to be stopped since it is the cornerstone of the rise in cases,’’ the President added.

Uganda's Covid-19 death toll has since shot up to 584, as of June 19. 

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