A total of 30 police officers attached to anti-riot police and marine unit, are stranded at Kasensero landing site, a week after they were evicted from a health facility.
The police officers were deployed on Kasensero landing site in February 2011, to fight piracy and keep law and order during the general elections. They have since been occupying Kasensero health center buildings.
Last month, Rakai district health department evicted the anti riot policemen and marine officers from Kasensero HIV AIDS clinic. Dr. Robert Mayanja, the Rakai District medical officer says the decision to evict the officers stems from the desire to expand the HIV Aids clinic at Kasensero.
Dr. Mayanja the policemen were given a temporal tenancy pending the completion of the construction of a toilet facility.
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But the eviction of these police officers from the health facility has left them stranded at Kasensero landing site.
Alex Twebaze, the Rakai district police commander says the evicted cops have been relocated to one small dilapidated unipot located at Kasensero. Twebaze claims the police cant find a better accomodation for the policemen.
Twebaze says 25 officers are now sleeping outside because they can’t fit in one unipot. He has asked Government to intervene and contruct decent shelter for the policemen in Kasensero.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, one of the stranded policeman said working in Kasensero is becoming unbearable. The policemen have to brave swarms of mosquitos and strong winds. The sitiuation has been aggravated by the rainy season.
But Noah Sserunjogi, the Southern Region Police Spokesperson says police plan to provide tarpaulins and tents as an interim solution to the accomodation problems faced by police officers in Kasensero.
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