Police arrests 8 suspects in connection to the planned Kampala protests

Police have confirmed the arrest of 8 suspects who were coordinating logistical items in connection to the planned illegal protests, that were staged to happen in Kampala city.

The suspects who were arrested from Lugala and Bwaise, explained to police during an interview, that they had plans of burning motor vehicles parked at police stations and government vehicles which are moving on the roads.

Police spokesperson Fred Enanga who was speaking to Media at police headquarters in Naguru, asserted that during the course of the week, they had recovered materials used in the making of petrol bombs also known as Molotov cocktails.

He said the suspects also had plans of looting shops and businesses that are open, while carrying out the alleged illegal protests.

“We also impounded 8 motorcycles. We are continuing to use our powers and discretion in policing to prevent, detect crime, and also maintain law and order. Our commanders have been asked to use lawful and reasonable force to disperse and disrupt any unlawful assembly,” he said.

The arrest of these suspects follows plans by group of activists and political groups, to hold unlawful assemblies and processions, under the guise of economic protests to allegedly manifest discontent over the surge in economic prices.

Enanga noted that the groups were warned about such actions, since they didn’t follow the right procedures for peaceful demonstrations.

This website has learned that the activists’ protests are geared towards surge in prices of commodities. However, Fred Enanga said their reasons are uncalled for, because the current economic challenges facing Uganda are a global economic problem.

He said Uganda has on several occasions participated in a number of international economic forums, to discuss solutions on economic challenges, such as the stagnating economic growth and inflation.

“so, some of these organizers will come up with these unlawful protests, to probably achieve their self-centered protests. But we simply want to urge them to instead of encourage these protests, its better for them to participate in constructive economic reforms with the technocrats in government other than engaging in provocative behavior,” he said.

In one of the ways of curbing the protests, police said they engaged business communities like KACITA Uganda, Boda Boda associations, Taxi industry, whom they applauded for rejecting these protests and hence encouraged their members to go about their normal businesses.

By the time of filing this story, social media platforms had been awash with posts restricting Ugandans from going to town, since there were planned protests to happen.