Bullets, teargas as Police disperse striking taxi operators

Mar 26, 2019

A group of taxi operators who are against the old leadership were seen on Tuesday forcefully unloading all commuter taxis.

TRANSPORT

ENTEBBE - Officers from Entebbe police, backed by the military police, were forced to fire bullets and teargas to disperse different crowds of taxi operators who had staged demonstrations in several spots along Entebbe road on Tuesday morning.

The episode follows the one of Friday last week, where taxi operators from Kitooro park, Entebbe municipality, demonstrated over what they termed as mistreatment by the "old" leadership of taxi owners and operators.

During the Tuesday demonstration, Isa Buyinza one of the taxi operators said, following the Friday demonstration, a subsequent meeting had been organised at Nakivubo Blue Primary School where operators selected Richard Kiyaga to be the interim chairperson of the new committee, pending another general election.

"The old committee led by the likes of Abiola, Steven Sekidde and Yasin Sematimba, refused to adhere to our new resolution hence hired stick-wielding kifeesi men to beat us," explained Buyinza.

A group of taxi operators who are against the old leadership were seen on Tuesday forcefully unloading all commuter taxis which were carrying passengers, before ordering them to return to Entebbe park.

However, taxis from Kampala to Entebbe, were operating normally, though not allowed to return to Kampala upon reaching Entebbe.

 hhh Police saved the Entebbe deputy RDC from the charged protesters. (Credit: Julius Luwemba)

 

Demonstrating taxi operators could stage at a certain spot and after being dispersed, they moved to another spot. This saw, several of them bundled onto police trucks before being whisked to Entebbe Police Station.

Our efforts to reach out to Steven Kidde the chairperson of the "old" committee were futile as phone calls went unanswered.

However, when  we contacted, Yasin Sematimba the chairperson for Kampala Operational Taxi Stages Association (KOTSA), he denied being involved in the fracas,  saying he is  being implicated because of his vice chairperson Steven Kidde who happens to be the former chairperson of Entebbe taxi stage.

"When such grievances were presented to my office, we agreed to suspend collection of loading fares until another election is conducted, but we asked drivers to select an interim committee within themselves to manage own affairs," intimated Sematimba.

He further stated that a committee of seven people led by Mark Kalumba was selected, which (committee) is being opposed by Richard Kiyaga and his faction.

According to Sematimba, over 1,500 taxis operate on Entebbe road from eight different stages in Kampala.

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