KAMPALA — President Museveni has warned crime preventers against involving themselves in any security related tasks as the country responds to the spread of the Coronavirus and announced errant LDU’s would be handed heavy disciplinary action.
Updating the nation on Friday evening, the president said he had been briefed that some LDU’s were misbehaving, beating up people and entering homes, and instructed his military assistant Lt. Col. Edith Nakalema to come down on such behaviour.
‘Don’t say I am a crime preventer, I now take up role of searching this place. Self deployment must stop. Some LDUs are misbehaving by entering people’s homes. With Curfew you are looking for people outside not inside homes ,” he said.
He said Col. Nakalema would handle such cases firmly, warning heavy disciplinary sentences for the errant personnel.
On crime preventers, the president said:
“Crime preventers are part of our system, but they should not involved themselves in this unless they have been called up and deployed by the army,” he said.
He said the security exercise was being carried out by three agencies – the Police supported by UPDF, LDUs (operating under the army) and Local Council leaders.
The president also clarified that the curfew doesn’t mean that people must stay indoors while at home.
“When I say stay home, I don’t mean indoors. You are at liberty to be at the veranda or even in the compound. It can be hot especially for those used to being in bars. Some don’t have indoor toilets”.
The President reiterated his call to Ugandans to adhere to simple personal hygiene measures of washing hands with soap and water and avoiding to touch oneself in the face.
He also told people with cough and flue-like symptoms to stay away from others and isolate themselves in their homes – and seek medical attention if necessary.
“Also, be sure to disinfect polluted surfaces in case you have coughed on them to prevent further spread of the virus”.
“In my view, it is very easy to defeat this virus. The problem is that people do not listen. They take things for granted,” he said.
Uganda has registered 48 COVID-19 infections by Friday Apri 3 night, and the government has now instigated drastic measures, including a 14-day total lockdown and a night curfew to halt the spread.