My near jail experience due to COVID-19 curfew
The Ugandan government on 18th June placed the country under lock down with a curfew running from 7 PM to 5 AM and the police and the military was put in charge of ensuring that the COVID-19 restrictions were observed. Tuesday, 22nd June, 2021 began just like any other day and it moved on well until 8:20 PM.
I was heading home when a I saw a vehicle from about 50 metres away but I did not think it was a police van until it reached me and stopped. I was engaged by the person who was in the front seat whom I came to learn was the commander and I was told to board. While I was boarding, I was asked where my mask was and I retreated to put it on (I am a big fan of masks). I was told to sit on the floor (it was wet) of the pickup truck which I obeyed and we set off, I used few minutes while on board to alert someone of my arrest using WhatsApp. Hardly 5 minutes into what was to turn into cat and mouse race between the civilians and the military who were on board, we came across three men and two of them ran away and the military pursued them but later gave up. The one who was arrested was to serve a punishment on behalf of those who ran away as his plea in Luganda language that he was a road constructor and that he was from having communal dinner with his colleagues fell on the deaf ears as they beat him using sticks and was forced to enter under the seats. He was asked about his ethnic group and whether he had ganja and he said he was a Musoga and he does not use drugs and he was asked from where and he said Bugiri and soon I was to learn that about 3–4 soldiers were from his side and they switched to their language and that was to save him from a night in the coolers.
Our night journey saw us move up to Kisansya trading centre and back and then they checked out a few bars in Buliisa town with no success. After checking out at the bars, we headed to the Buliisa CPS where we were to be detained for violating the curfew rules.
On our way, they kept on chasing people but with no success, but sometimes they also enjoyed seeing those who were far running and at one point we came across a lady who was told to board she seemed to be in the good books of the police as they identified her as the salon woman and the commander told the soldiers to let her go. At about 9, we came across a restaurant that was open and they (policemen and soldiers) looked like the Israelites who had come across manna in the wilderness but their happiness was short-lived as they disagreed since their first culprit, a lady seemed to be close to the policeman and the only lady on the truck in a military wear wanted her to enter under the seats just like a man who was already there. As they were bargaining, they brought in another person who identified himself as the driver of one of the companies in the oil and gas sector who begged for forgiveness. It was at this point that the only lady on board came to us and told us that, if we are tired of food, we should try to escape as they were ready to shoot at anyone who tries to escape. This order was given in Lusoga and I was only asked if I had understood.
The police took the day as she was left to go. After she was released, the military said that, even the man should be released since he was in the lady’s restaurant and he was left to go. At this point, I got time to talk with my fellow culprit who was lying on the floor of the pick up as he wanted to know where we were and if the road led to the police station.
About three hundred metres to the police station, we came across men who were standing in front of their house, and thinking they were not in wrong, they did not run away and I think the patrol took it for disrespect. The commander ordered his men to arrest them even if they entered their houses and the order was executed and three out of about 5 guys were arrested and forced to enter under the seats and soon, the soldiers began asking for ganja from them — they also belonged to the road construction company. We were now five people arrested and we headed to the police station and we were told to alight and as soon as we did, we were told to remove our foot wears and enter. We were told to sit behind the counter and now the police were fully in charge of us and soon they asked for our details which included only our names and then, they told us to remove whatever we had and hand them over for safe custody by a brown fat policeman. The first person to receive his freedom was a Musoga guy as they called out that Musoga should be left to go. Musoga was his new name, at least for a night.
I was the first to handover my two phones, keys, some money and they asked for my belt which I didn’t have. As soon as I was through, another order came from outside that they should let me go because I had behaved well throughout. My items were given back to me and my appreciations were met by an order that I should run. When I step out, another order to stop came through and a brown soldier who had picked a small conversation with me in Runyankore during my ordeal, and in the process had asked how much I had on me came back and asked for ‘the other money’ and my ten thousand was gone. Three guys who were picked from their place of abode are the only ones who spent a night in the jail in our group.
Looking back at those who were arrested and released on spot, I came to accept that, the law is indeed like spider web that only catches small flies.
