POLICE | PROTESTS | FUEL PRICES

JINJA - The Antiriot Police in Jinja City have stepped in to bring order on the Jinja-Kamuli highway where motorists, who were later joined by residents, took to the streets protesting the high fuel prices. 

The bodaboda riders and taxi drivers blocked the highway with logs and huge stones at Namulesa trading centre on the Jinja-Kamuli highway on top of burning tyres in the middle of the road. 

One of the taxi drivers wondered why it was only in Uganda where the prices were too high compared to other East African Community partner states. 

“It is becoming difficult for us to keep hiking transport fares daily because of the unstable cost of fuel which keeps shooting up all the time. Let our government step in,” one of the rioters stated. 

High cost of commodities 

John Mukose, a resident of Mafubira in Jinja city’s northern division, said he took to the streets because of the high cost of food and other basics like soap. 

A combination of teargas with smoke from burning tyres at Namulesa trading centre along the Jinja-Kamuli highway during the riot on Monday. (All Photos by Jackie Nambogga)

“A new shirt costs over sh20,000 and a bar of soap needed for washing it also goes at above sh7,000. Where are we headed to yet the Government keeps telling us that commodity prices would go down, but they are instead rising,” Mukose said. 

The 3-hour protest paralysed traffic flow until the Police fired teargas to calm the situation. 

Police intervention 

Kiira region Police spokesperson James Mubi said this was a global crisis which was not affecting Uganda alone. 

Therefore, Mubi said they had to apply teargas because the situation had gone out of hand. 

Rioters burn tyres in the middle of the road at Namulesa along the Jinja-Kamuli highway.

“Our role is to keep law and order and the only way to keep it was by firing teargas to calm the situation,” he said. 

Riots in Buwenge 

After bringing the Namulesa riot to an end, Mubi said the demonstration shifted to Buwenge town along the same highway which was more stressful, but they later contained it as well. 

According to Mubi, politicians were fuelling the riots for what he termed as ‘cheap popularity’. 

“We have intelligence that there are politicians behind these riots, but we shall summon them at the right time,” he said. 

According to Mubi, eight riders were arrested and detained at the Jinja Central Police Station in connection with the riot. 

He added that 11 motorcycles were also impounded. 

Mubi told the public to desist from such acts because these were cross-cutting issues all over the world.