Uganda Police has issued a directive towards schools and some churches which have insisted on holding gathering despite the presidential directive suspending operations of schools and churches.
In order to prevent the spread of COVID 19 a disease caused by the Coronavirus, on Wednesday last week President Yoweri Museveni ordered all schools in Uganda to close, he also suspended prayer services in Churches and Mosques for 30 days.
“Government has decided to close all primary, secondary schools and universities starting at midday, Friday, March 20, 2020, for 30 days as a measure to fight coronavirus. Also, all religious gatherings are suspended for 30 days, how will God forgive us when we say let’s have one more gathering then in that gathering there is a person infected? Prayers will continue but in homes,” he said.
However, his directives to some leaders looked like a joke and they continued to do their business as usual.
According to Kampala Metropolitan Police Deputy Spokesperson Luke Oweyesigire, a lot of calls have been made to several police stations requesting the security force to arrest pastors/ priests holding religious gatherings as well as teachers who are conducting studies amind the presidential directive.
On Sunday Christ the King Parish priest, Msgr Gerald Kalumba was briefly arrested at Central Police Station in Kampala for holding a mass yet it was suspended by the President.
According to Police, several other priests were arrested by the joint team but released on agreements of not doing it gain.
On Monday, Police at Kira road raided two schools that were teaching despite the presidential orders, among these was Defdels Primary school that had over 53 teachers teaching pupils like business as usual.
The other was Kabojja junior school where over 21 teachers were found inside the school with five pupils.
According to Police investigations, the five pupils at Kabojja had come for an interview.
“All these arrested people (teachers and pupils) have made statements at Police and investigations will go on,” said Oweyesigire.
“We caution the authorities still opening schools or churches to close them. Don’t let any student into the school. Even though they are doing their homework, we shall arrest you without any mercy, we ask you to follow the directives so that we can prevent the spreading of COVI 19,” said Oweyesigire on Monday after the arrest of Kabojja teachers.
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