Luweero police have banned public places from opening beyond 10:00pm following the escalation of thefts and burglary in the district. Police had ordered places such as bars, food joints and discotheques to close by 10pm to stem the rising cases of theft. Samuel Bamuzibire Luweero District Police Commander says that police that has been recording more than 10 cases of theft and burglary each night.
The most affected areas include Luweero, Wobulenzi town councils and Kikyusa Sub County. He says that preliminary police investigations show that thugs break into people’s homes between 12 and 4am. Bamuzibire says that they have decided to restrict night movements in whole district to trap those behind the rampant thefts. He explains that on Wednesday night they picked up about 47 people who were moving at night without any clear explanation. Bamuzibire says that the suspects have been remanded to Butuntumula government prison.
// cue in: “Because of the increased……………
cue out:………………….this crime’’//
He explains that they have deployed several police men both foot and car patrols to arrest people moving at night beyond the set time. Julius Kaggwa, the LC 3 chairman of Kikyusa Sub County where most cases have been recorded says that thugs disguise themselves as revelers and break into people’s houses. He says that the suspects use the bars to plan their mission when most people go to sleep.
However, the introduction of the curfew has not gone down well with proprietors of joints and revelers.
George William Kimbugwe the manager of Down Town Inn says the curfew has affected his business as many of his are not longer visiting his bar because of fearing arrest. He wonders how they will be able to raises money to pay taxes when their businesses are hit hard by the curfew.
Anent Nabwami, a food vendor says that the curfew has hit her business. Nabwami says that most of her clients buy food at around 10:00pm but that is when they have been ordered to close. James Munaaba, a reveler accused police of arresting them with hidden motive of extorting money from them.
He says that it is the responsibility of police to protect residents instead of imposing restrictions. The bar operators and food vendors have asked police to withdraw the curfew and deploy night patrols rather restricting people’s movements.
