Gen. Tumwine: Stickers Don't Exempt You from Curfew
Gen Elly Tumwine, the Minister of Security has clarified that
individuals who have been given stickers to drive their cars despite the ban
imposed on vehicle movement across the country are not exempted from the dawn
to dusk curfew.
President Yoweri Museveni on Monday decreed that starting at
7pm to 6:30 a.m, no person or vehicle is supposed to move except trucks
carrying cargo and food supplies, security forces and medical vehicle with
emergencies, in a bid to forestall the spread of the coronavirus.
However, on different media fora, many people thought that
even other service vehicles that had been exempted were also free to move at
night.
But while addressing the media today at the Uganda Media center
in Kampala, Tumwine said that those outside the above category whose work
extends into the night, should consider sleeping at their work places.
“Those with stickers are only allowed to move during the day;
during the night its only security and health emergencies. For the media, it’s
advised that if you must work at night, stay there,” Tumwine said.
The same point was made later by works Minister Gen
Edward Katumba Wamala, who was explaining more about the stickers that his
ministry had issued.
Meanwhile, Tumwine warned Ugandans against trying to force
the hand of the armed forces by disobeying their orders.
“They are called armed forces; not forces only. They carry
those arms so that where it is necessary to use those arms they use them,” Tumwine
said. He added that once one is given instructions by security forces, they
should listen instead of arguing.
At the briefing, Tumwine was accompanied by Adolf Mwesige,
the minister in charge of Defense and Veteran Affairs. Mwesige defended the
presence of the UPDF on the streets saying, they are doing their solemn duty of
protecting Uganda’s territorial integrity and assisting other security forces
in times of a disaster.
Also in attendance was Gen Wilson Mbadi, the deputy chief of
defense forces who called upon Ugandans especially in the urban centers to
comply with the presidential directives on Coronavirus.
Mbadi said according to reports from the field, villages have
largely embraced measures such as social distancing, staying home, and not
using public or private vehicles among others while those in towns, there are a
number of elements who are still defying the orders.
He said, the security forces will stop at nothing to ensure
that the presidential decrees are implemented so that COVID-19 doesn’t spread
in Uganda like it has done is some other countries like Italy and Spain
