In a bid to instill strict adherence to the guidelines set to reduce the spread of the corona virus in Uganda, the Uganda Police Force has come out and encouraged communities to form groups of people who will help in enforcement.
The communities will form Anti-Covid Task teams that will work closely with security agencies including police attached to the National Covid-19 Taskforce.
“With the surge in the Covid-19 cases, we are really calling upon all stakeholders to create Anti-Covid-19 Task teams. For example those in the boda boda industry can come up with different groups within their jurisdictions,” spokesperson Fred Enanga said in a security briefing at Uganda media center in Kampala.
According to Enanga, the task teams will work with different councils and territorial police which will help in local policing and enforcement of Ministry of Health guidelines and business standard operating procedures.
Enanga, however, cautioned people who intend to form the task teams against engaging in criminal acts to avoid repercussions.
“This is something that we are encouraging but again, the process should not be abused because there are those people whom you give authority and they use it as an extortion scheme,” he said.
“If you go into extortion, it is criminal and it attracts sanctions against you,” he added.
He further emphasized to the public that task teams are basically aimed at taming Covid-19 in the country and that as Police, security and health remains their top priority.
Police said that they will continue working with the already existing task teams from different stakeholders in Kampala such as Owino market task Team, KACITA Task team and Entebbe Driver’s Association Task team.
It has also been established that some city arcades have formed some task teams which are strictly enforcing the Standard Operating Procedures.
Source – chimpreports.com
