Museveni directive bites as Police arrest traders for hiking prices

TRADE     COVID-19

Police in Koboko district have arrested four traders who were using the COVID-19 pandemic to hike commodity prices.

Policemen led by the area Residential District Commissioner (RDC) Capt. Yahaya Kakooza closed shops and arrested three Indians and one Ugandan trader.

The four had allegedly hiked product prices for salt, sugar and other commodities.

A sachet of salt was going for sh3,000, up from the usual sh700.

President Museveni, in his address to the nation on Tuesday, vowed to crack down traders who hike prices yet the products are manufactured locally.

"I will send my spies and if they get you increasing pricing, we shall cancel your license," Museveni said.

He said for those in urban centres, if they do not control the prices, the Government would mobilise cadres to transport goods from upcountry.

Uganda has registered nine cases of coronavirus and several people have complained of hiked prices of essential goods.