By Lawrence Mulondo

 

KAMPALA Capital City Authority (KCCA) has arrested and charged over twenty people in the city for defying its laws.

 

These include Justus Byamukama, Joshua Kizza, Miriam Nakyanzi, Alice Juuko, Fred Kakurule, Moses Kaggwa, Elisa Mafaabi, Richard Busingye, Justine Kansiime and others.

 

These were arrested from various places in the city like Kyaggwe Road, Kampala Road, Luwuum Street, Mengo Kisenyi, Old Taxi Park, Namirembe Road and others.

 

They were arrested for littering the city, carrying out street vending and hawking without licenses while others were netted for parking in unauthorized places.

 

Those arrested for vending and hawking were selling drinks, fruits, clothes, perfumes, chewing gum, padlocks and other things.

 

They were on Tuesday afternoon charged before City Hall Court magistrate Moses Nabende and all pleaded guilty to all charges.

 

State attorney Hillary Musiimenta told court that such crimes are rampant in the city and requested court to avail the accused with a custodial sentence.

 

Musiimenta added that this will act as an example to the rest of the people in the city to prevent them from engaging in the same actions.

 

The defense lawyer Fredrick Mbaziira objected to Musiimenta's request and said the accused are first time offenders, and have not wasted court's time as they pleaded guilty from the start.

 

He requested the court to give the accused a lenient sentence.

 

Magistrate Nabende said it is true that the accused are first offenders but it is also true that such crimes are rampant in the city.

 

Some of the accused were fined between sh40,000 and sh400,000 while other were sentenced to serve a period of five to eight weeks in prison.

 

The magistrate advised the convicts to acquire KCCA operating licenses and work in authorized places after serving their sentences to prevent such punishments.

 

To those who were convicted for littering the city, the judge advised them to make full use of the litterbins the authority provides in the city.