The business has come to a standstill in the jurisdiction of Jinja after police intervened to quell a riot by motorists on the Jinja-Kamuli road over the rising cost of living.
This follows a social media call to have various motorists park their vehicles indefinitely until the fuel prices are reduced.
The rioters became rowdy and started hurling stones at the police, who had been summoned to pacify the situation.
The security forces thereafter responded with tear gas to disperse the angry rioters. In the areas surrounding Mafubira, the situation is direr as police have deployed live bullets and teargas to the detriment of the rioters.
However, no arrests have been made so far on that route. On the Jinja-Iganga highway at Milo Mbili, police swung into action to remove barricades erected by some youths who wanted to block motorists who had refused to heed their call to not use this road.
The demonstration takes place at a time when a popular online document is urging people to spend three days inside as part of a purported crusade against inflation in the nation.
The authors of the documents, which the police referred to as “defamatory propaganda,” claimed that the sit-in protests will turn into open-air demonstrations and mass uprisings after three days in order to bring about a change in government.
Police spokesperson, Fred Enanga, warned Ugandans against taking part in these demonstrations, claiming that they were illegal and that the police were committed to put an end to them.
Prices of essential goods have gone drastically up in the last six months.
A litre of kerosene costs Shs 4500 per litre, a more than 50% increment from the same period last year while a kilogramme of maize flour retails at Shs 3500, the highest in recent years.
