Three Local Defence Unit personnel (LDU) attached to Kiira Battalion will spend the next two months in jail for traveling on the same motorcycle at the same time.
Bernard Cheptai, Jupiter Cherop and Sam Kibeti, were arrested on May 18 and detained on grounds that they were photographed while traveling on a bodaboda to and from one of the banks in town.
Prosecution side led by Capt. Paul Rwabogo presented to the court a photograph which was taken by a Bukedde journalist, as proof to pin the accused in the case of violating presidential guidelines on COVID-19 pandemic.
“Despite being the custodians of the law, these officers deliberately sat on the same motor cycle, an act contrary to the presidential directives on COVID-19 pandemic,” said Rwabogo.
The accused pleaded guilty and requested court to pardon them, claiming they badly wanted money to take care of their families yet transport was a big challenge due to the lockdown.
Their defence lawyer, Miriam Kesiime, re-echoed their prayer as she requested court at least to give her clients a lenient punishment, given the fact that they were still young and it was their first time to commit a crime.
“It is understandable that these people being young got excited when they learnt that their salaries had been deposited on their bank accounts. We all know how difficult it was to get transport means to reach Kampala or any other part of the country in this era of lockdown,” she said.
Before delivering his ruling, the court chairperson, Col. Sam Mugenyi, reminded the accused that President Yoweri Museveni, is the Commander in Chief, and therefore, it is a big crime to violate his directives on COVID-19, especially when you swore to serve as a security officer.
“On conviction of your own plea of guilty, this court has sentenced you to two months’ imprisonment at Kakiri 1st Division Quarter Guard,” Col. Mugenyi ruled.
Meanwhile, the first Division, army spokesperson, Maj. Bilal Katamba, told New Vision that social distancing and other COVID-19 guidelines apply to all Ugandans, including security officers.
“This sends a signal to the rest of the LDUs and the army officers that whoever will be found violating the presidential guidelines, which intend to prevent the spread of COVID-19, shall be apprehended and arraigned in army courts of law,” he said.