Tricks locals use to beat security at Mubende, Kassanda checkpoints
Law enforcers fix barricades on the Kampala-Mubende highway on October 16, 2022. PHOTO | DAN WANDERA
Locals in Mubende and Kassanda districts have devised means of beating security to enter or exit the two districts, in defiance of the 21-day lockdown.
President Museveni last Saturday imposed the lockdown to contain the Ebola outbreak that has already claimed 19 lives.
The lockdown restricts movement of persons out of or into the two districts, but are free to move within. The Presidential directive also suspends private and public transport, including boda bodas.
Currently, security personnel have been deployed at the various checkpoints to enforce President Museveni’s directive.
Mubende borders Kassanda, Kiboga and Kyankwanzi, among others.
However, some locals take advantage of the porous borders to access the districts.
“Police officers manning the borders are stationed at the checkpoints and those with gardens in Kyegegwa District cross over through feeder roads,” Mr Henry Tumuhimbise, a resident of Kibaale Village in Nabingoola Town Council in Mubende, observed.
Mr Patrick Asiimwe, a resident of Kibaale Trading Centre in Nabingoola Town Council, said drivers of taxis carrying passengers from Kampala to Mubende offload passengers from isolated places without any security interruption.
“Checkpoints serve no purpose for now since they only screen people who are travelling using motorcycles. Those on foot are freely crossing to other districts. The President should impose a lockdown on districts surrounding Mubende like Kakumiro and Kyegegwa,” he suggested.
Ms Judith Asiimwe, a resident of Kasule Sub-county, said they have been crossing Nabingoola with ease because there is no checkpoint.
A boda boda cyclist, who declined to be named for fear of reprimand, said they use secluded paths to transport their colleagues out of Mubende but at a high fee.
“We charge expensively because it is risky, especially if we are arrested. We charge about Shs25,000 with luggage to cross from Mubende to Kyegegwa through our undisclosed routes,” he said.
For travellers from Kyegegwa to Nabingoola and Kibaale sub-counties in Mubende, which are about 15 kilometres and 12kms, respectively, the taxis offload passengers at the border and they trek.
Mr Alex Tusiime, a resident of Kyegegwa, said most porous borders are in the sub-counties bordering Mubende such as Kasule, Bugogo, Ruyonza, and Kabweza, among others.
For bus companies such as, the drivers of vehicles from Fort Portal heading to Kampala were yesterday seen making stopovers at the borderpoints of Kyegegwa to Mubende to allow all passengers ease themselves before they cross to Mubende.
The Presidential directive bars all public transport from stopping in Mubende and Kasanda districts to offload or allow other passengers to board buses or taxis.
The Kyegegwa deputy Resident District Commissioner, Ms Winnie Kyakuhaire, said by Monday they had not deployed any security officers to start monitoring people who are crossing from Mubende to Kyegegwa.
“But we have convened a security meeting to enforce the presidential directive,” she said.
