ADVERTISEMENT

2 shot by police for violating restrictions to curb spread of coronavirus as Uganda's Covid-19 cases shoot up to 18

Police Uganda
  • On Friday, Ugandan police shot two men after they defied President Yoweri Museveni ban on using public transport.
  • On Thursday, police and soldiers in Kampala also beat up fruit vendors, market goers and people in bars with batons in a bid to disperse people gathering in groups.
  • Uganda is racing against time to contain the spread of deadly Covid-19 and currently has 18 confirmed cases.

Two men are nursing gun wounds after they were shot by police for violating movement restrictions to curb spread of coronavirus.

On Friday, Ugandan police said they had shot two men using a motorcycle after they failed to stop and defied President Yoweri Museveni ban on using public transport

"Police officers on duty to enforce a presidential directive stopped two men on a motorbike in Mukono (near Kampala) on Thursday," Uganda metropolitan police spokesman, Patrick Onyango told AFP.

"They attacked one of the officers, he fired the warning shot in the air but they charged at him and he shot one of them in the leg and another in the stomach."

ADVERTISEMENT

A day before, police and soldiers in Kampala also beat up fruit vendors, market goers and people in bars with batons in a bid to disperse people gathering in groups.

President Museveni has urged people to stay home but has stopped short of ordering a lockdown. On Wednesday he announced the suspension of all public transport for 14 days with immediate effect as part of efforts to contain the spread of the coronavirus in the country.

Boda bodas (motorcycle operators) and tuk tuks will be allowed to operate as long as they are not ferrying passengers while schools, places of entertainment and worship and some agricultural markets have been shut for a month.

ADVERTISEMENT

Uganda is racing against time to contain the spread of deadly Covid-19 and currently has 18 confirmed cases.

“Yesterday, March 26, another 197 people were tested and many of them were returnees from Dubai or other category one countries, only four tested positive.These four had been under institutional quarantine in the various hotels identified by the sub-committee on quarantine,” Museveni said in a statement posted on his social platforms.

JOIN OUR PULSE COMMUNITY!

Unblock notifications in browser settings.
ADVERTISEMENT

Eyewitness? Submit your stories now via social or:

Email: eyewitness@pulse.com.gh

ADVERTISEMENT