Police officers enforcing the COVID-19 guidelines have been ordered to confiscate travel clearance letters from Local Council Chairpersons.
The directive came from commander of the joint Covid19 task force, Maj Gen Robert Rusoke.
According to CP Fred Enanga the Police Spokesperson, Gen Rusoke has expressed concern about powers reportedly being abused by Local Council chairpersons.
Acting on Gen Rusoke’s orders, Police have already confiscated several clearance letters issued to members of the public such as drivers and motorcyclists.
While announcing a 42 days’ lockdown, President Yoweri Museveni banned the movement of public and private vehicles save for essential workers. He however gave authority to LCs and RDCs to issue travel clearances to people with emergencies mostly medical-related conditions.
Now, Maj Gen Rusoke insists that several people have LC letters allowing them to move from their places to the town centre or City outskirts even when they don’t have any medical emergency.
His concern had already been detected by police officers manning various roadblocks where they have noticed that several people, present clearance letters from LCs without questioning from the police.
Enanga says the confiscated letters will be a basis for discussion on whether to withdraw powers of issuing movement tickets by LCs or not. Adding that some people are even paying LCs to acquire clearance letters.
