Police on Sunday warned boda-boda operators threatening to protest government’s decision to maintain the partial suspension of their operations.
Currently, boda-boda motorists are restricted to delivery services and transporting passengers under emergency circumstances.
Early this week, President Museveni lifted the ban on public transport but maintained that boda-bodas and Tuk-tuks will not be allowed to carry passengers as it has been for the last 75 days of the lock down.
The decision to maintain the partial ban on their operation did not go down well with a section of boda-boda riders threatening to demonstrate.
On Saturday evening, several messages started doing rounds on social media indicating that boda-boda riders were mobilising to demonstrate on Monday unless they are allowed to resume their normal operations.
However, Kampala Metropolitan police spokesperson, Mr Patrick Onyango, says they have received credible information indicating that some politicians and opportunists are behind the panned demonstrations.
“The information we have is that these demonstrations are being planned, mobilised and sponsored by opportunistic people and some political individuals within Kampala Metropolitan Policing areas,” Mr Onyango said before adding that the group is also mobilising boda-boda operators to disrupt government efforts to contain the spread of coronavirus at a time when there are systematic processes to ease the lock down.
“We want to appeal to Boda boda operators not to be lured into illegal activities by opportunistic people, who are working for their own benefits,” he said.
Mr Onyango warned that police will not tolerate any criminal activities intended to disrupt government efforts in the fight against the spread of the Covid19 pandemic in the country.
“We caution anyone who intends to engage in criminal activities that the long arm of the law will catch up with them,” Mr Onyango warned.
The Ministry of Health on Sunday reported 23 new Covid-19 cases after another frontline health worker, a security personnel and truck drivers tested positive for the virus.
This brings the total number of the country’s confirmed cases to 616 with 18 frontline health workers infected.
***
URN