The commander of the joint Covid19 task force, Maj Gen Robert Rusoke, has ordered police to confiscate travel clearance letters from Local Council Chairpersons.
Police Spokesperson, Fred Enanga, confirmed that Gen Rusoke has expressed concern about powers reportedly being abused by Local Council chairpersons.
Police acting on Gen Rusoke’s orders have already confiscated several clearance letters issued to members of the public such as drivers and motorcyclists.
President Yoweri Museveni while announcing a 42 days’ lockdown authorized LCs and RDCs to issue travel clearances to people with emergencies mostly medical-related conditions.
But Maj Gen Rusoke insists that several people have LC letters allowing them to move from their places to the town centre or City outskirts even when they don’t have any medical emergency.
Enanga said Maj Gen Rusoke’s concern had already been detected by police officers manning various roadblocks where they have noticed that several people present clearance letters from LCs without questioning from the police.
Several LC chairpersons who spoke to our reporter dismissed claims of charging people to get clearance letters.
Some chairpersons explained that the money they ask people to pay is in most cases 2,000 shillings for buying and printing headed papers.