'Don't use guns to collect tax'

May 18, 2001

THE Kabarole assistant Resident District Commissioner, Mr. Samuel Kazinga, has said the use of guns in the collection of graduated tax should stop

By Emmanuel Mulondo THE Kabarole assistant Resident District Commissioner, Mr. Samuel Kazinga, has said the use of guns in the collection of graduated tax should stop. Kazinga said this on Wednesday during a council meeting held at the Buheesi sub-county headquarters. "The gun should be used to protect the people not to terrorise them," Kazinga said. This followed a petition by the Kaguna Nyamyeganjo LC2 chairman over an incident in which the parish chief of Rwensenene and a Local Defence Unit soldier (LDU) shot a bullet into the house of F. Kabwemi after he refused to open during a night graduated tax operation. The petition to the RDC said, "The parish chief and the LDU kicked the door and shot a bullet into the door frame of the children's room. The children survived the shot which hit a bicycle and broke its frame." It added, "those people should be prosecuted and the RDC should send his people to confirm the harm inflicted on Kabwemi and his children." Kazinga said better ways of enforcing graduated tax payment should be used other than night operations and using wrong personnel who scare off the taxpayers to hide in bushes at night. He said the local administration police should be used for reinforcement where need arises. Kazinga said he had directed the Police to handle the matter on a criminal basis. The Kabwemi incident follows another in which LDUs and homeguards who were on a night graduated tax operation clashed with Allied Democratic Force rebels in Buheesi sub-county three weeks ago. Ends

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