Over 100 Boda Boda riders in Kasese Municipality have protested against extortion by security officers deployed to enforce the night-time curfew.
The angry cyclists especially from Bulembia Division say whenever it clocks 6:00 pm, security personnel who include the army and police stage roadblocks targeting them.
As part of the COVID-19 SOPs president, Yoweri Museveni restricted Boda Boda operations to 6 pm however; the riders say that security officers take advantage of the restriction to extort money from them.
Godfrey Tugume a Boda Boda the rider at Mawa Stage says some officers start stopping their operations as early as 5:30 PM and demand money ranging between 5,000 to 10,000 shillings.
Wilson Kule, another rider says most of the riders acquired the motorcycles on loans that are serviced daily or weekly.
Rajab Kule chairperson Kilembe Boda Boda stage in Bulembia division asserts that many riders are arrested before 6:00 PM adding that it’s unfortunate that the little money they earn from the business is usually spent on paying for bribes.
The Kasese DPC Wilfred Bagenda however advised the riders to formally present their concerns to the police so that actions against the implicated officers and stop bribing the officers but rather demand to be taken to police in case they have committed an offence.
