Police stop arrest of sex workers, beggars
Some of the street children who operate from Jinja Road traffic lights in Kampala chat with a taxi driver during peak hours. PHOTO / ABUBAKER LUBOWA
What you need to know:
- Mr Fred Enanga, the police spokesperson, while addressing the media in Kampala yesterday, warned officers against flouting the court directives.
Police has said they have with immediate effect stopped the arrest of sex workers and street beggars as it move to implement the orders of the Constitutional Court that declared the offence of rogue and vagabond unconstitutional.
Mr Fred Enanga, the police spokesperson, while addressing the media in Kampala yesterday, warned officers against flouting the court directives.
“The leadership of the police has acknowledged the court ruling that repealed and decriminalised the petty offence of rogue and vagabond from the penal code act after it was found to be vague and unconstitutional. So all police officers have with immediate effect been asked to comply with the ruling and stop any arrest of those minor actions of rogue and vagabond,” Mr Enanga said.
“The public should expect the police to move away from these low-level disorders that allegedly criminalise poor people and persons of low status. We are going to spend a considerable amount of time looking at other serious cases,” he added.
Other people who the police have been warned against arresting include those who are idle and disorderly, those playing indoor games such as ludo, gamblers and beggars who display wounds on the streets to attract sympathy and get money.
However, police said there are other low-level disorders that are still punishable by law, for instance, common nuisance contrary to section 160 a (1) and (2) of the Penal Code Act and section 300 of the Penal Code Act.
The police identified such behaviours as being armed with dangerous or offensive weapons with intent to break or enter a building, having one’s face masked up or otherwise disguised to commit an offence, and wandering at night while being armed.
No longer punishable
Being a sex worker or behaving in a disorderly or indecent manner in any public place.
Wandering in any public place to beg or gather alms, or encouraging the act.
Playing any game for money or money’s worth in any public place.
Publicly conducting ones self in a manner likely to cause a breach of peace.
Without lawful excuse, publicly doing an indecent act.
Exposure of wounds or deformation to obtain alms.
