Police has used teargas and live bullets to disperse hundreds of Boda-boda operators from Bombo road and Lumumba Avenue on Tuesday February 18, 2020 afternoon protesting endless police arrests and eviction from their stages in Kampala.

The demonstration followed a recent operation conducted by jointly the KCCA enforcements and police to crackdown on Boda-boda riders operating in unauthorised spaces at Miniprice and Namirembe road where several motorcycles where impounded and operators arrested.

This afternoon, angry Boda-boda operators left Mini price in the City center in a procession to Wandegeya before heading to Lumumba Avenue at the office of the Resident City Resident Commissioner (RCC) to demand an explanation on why they are being haunted.

However, the riders were turned away by security personnel attached to the RCC’s office on grounds that they didn’t have an appointment, which angered them forcing them to turn rowdy. This prompted officers from Wandegeya police Division to intervene leading to running battles with the riders.

Sadat Katabila, the Chairman Boda-boda riders at Mini price stage explained that the continued arrests, impounding of their motorcycles and removal of their stages by KCCA is plot by government to chase them from the city.

He said they decided to meet the President’s representative to demand an explanation while they are being ill-treated by the government they support.
Angrily ,Yahaya Sseruwada another protestor, said police impounded his two motorcycles two years ago and took them to CPS Kampala over lack of documents.

He however, claims that he was asked to pay Shillings 1.5million at CPS to recover his motorcycles, which he has failed to do.

The Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson, Patrick Onyango however denied allegations of extortion at CPs. He says the amount paid is the charges imposed on those found violating traffic rules.

Onyango said police broke up the rider’s demonstration because it was illegal since neither the RCC nor police was informed.

He said three protestors have been arrested and more than 5 motorcycles have been impounded and kept at Wandegeya police division.

Efforts to get a comment from KCCA’s Peter Kaujju about the complaints by the riders were futile by the time of publishing this story.