By Naboth Isaac Niwagaba
Kigezi region police Field Force Unit (FFU) Commander Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Henry Kisembo has ordered Security Officials manning Checkpoints to stop impounding Boda Boda motorcycles in Kabale district over poor mechanical conditions.
Kisembo intervened after Allan Bwashesha the Chairperson of Kabale Boda Boda Riders and his secretary stormed Kabale Police Station demanding an explanation as to why security officers were “harassing” his colleagues.
Bwashesha said he had received numerous complaints that Boda Boda riders in Kabale were being intercepted at checkpoints and handed Express Penalty fines ranging between Shs 50,000 and 80,000 for having broken or no side mirrors and old tyres on their motorcycles.
He said it was inhuman for the Police to extract such an amount of money from the Boda Boda riders who are already economically disadvantaged by the COVID-19 lockdown.
The General Secretary of Kabale Boda Boda Association Alex Niwagaba said it was not the first time the Boda Boda riders were complaining over the same issue. He said that two weeks after the partial lockdown was announced by President Yoweri Museveni, they had met Former Acting Kabale District Police Commander ASP Kyewalyanga Muhammad over what he termed as “extortion by Traffic Officers.”
Niwagaba said Kyewalyanga had promised to engage the Officer in charge of Traffic about their concern, but there was no change since then. After listening to their concerns today, Kisembo said he immediately communicated to the Police Officers and asked them to halt the operation on motorcycles with poor mechanical Conditions.
However, after consultation with the Officer in charge of Traffic, Kisembo said he had ordered the Police officers to caution the offenders and let them go to replace the old or damaged parts of the motorcycles
In a phone interview with our reporter, the Officer in Charge of Kabale Traffic Police Venny Matuka said they were confiscating motorcycles in dangerous mechanical conditions and that it was for the good of the Boda Boda cyclists.
“We are doing it for their own good. They should not take it as harassment or extortion because we are only reminding them that their life is at risk if they ride motorcycles without side mirrors or any other problem.”
Matuka said they would start cautioning Boda Boda Cyclists whose motorcycles are in poor conditions, but she added that habitual offenders would be penalized without mercy.
