NEWS EDITOR
POLICE at Kira road Police Station after being tipped off by good hearted people has today carried out an operation at two schools in Kampala, where 74 teachers were allegedly found teaching pupils amidst schools’ shutdown directive by President Museveni as a precaution to tame Coronavirus pandemic in Uganda.
The arrested 21 teachers were from Kabojja Junior School near Kampala Hospital and 53 Daffodil Primary School teachers.
According to Kampala Metropolitan Police deputy Spokesman Luke Owoyesigire, “These schools had openned their gates and pupils were comming in as usual. We carried out this operation and were able to arrest 74 teachers alongside 5 pupils who have been handed over to their parents after cautioning them.”
The arrested teachers denied being found teaching pupils, saying they children had come for interviews.
However Owoyesigire told journalists this evenning that, “The parents were stopped from taking their children to any school no matter it is for interviews, touring or any such kind of business.”
He said that should never happen due to the presidential directive to shutdown all schools to guard the country against the Covid-19 pandemic.
“We want to urge any school director, headteacher or any one running a school to desist from any attempt of disobeying the Presidential directives. Our operations are on going, if any one is caught teaching during this shutdown, we will arrest and charge you accordingly.” Said Police Spokesman.
On Wednesday last week, President Museveni in a National address, directed all schoose to close down and sent over 15M students back home to avoid spreading of the virus.
He shutdown all places of worship, bars, banned burial functions of big groups of people and weddings.
Directing all schools to be shutdown on Friday and banning mass gatherings Museveni said, “We must do everything possible to ensure that this enemy (Coronavirus) does not come here. Does not find plenty of dry grass, piled up and ready for ignition. What is the dry grass that can help to start and sustain fire of Coronavirus epidemic?”
“It is the big masses of people, gathered togather and in close proximity. What are these masses of people that are gathered in groups that can easily aide the spread of the virus?” Asked the president.
Police has now warned all schools teachers obeying the presidential directive that they will be dealt with according to the law.
