The Joint Security Forces have warned Boda Boda cyclists planning to stage a strike due to continued Covid-19 restrictions preventing them from carrying passengers.

“The Joint security forces have received intelligence about unscrupulous people who want to cause mayhem in the Kampala Metropolitan Area and other urban areas such as Mbarara, Jinja, Kasese, Mityana etc,” a statement from the police reads in part.

Police also added that the boda boda cyclists planned riots are aimed at stampeding government to prematurely allow boda boda operators to resume normal operations, despite the systematic easing of the lockdown by the government on the recommendations of the health experts.

“It should be noted that there are already many reports of the boda bodas violating directives by carrying passengers and also flouting the curfew guidelines, among others. This is definitely wrong as it puts the operators in danger as well as their passengers, families, and the community,” the police statement reads.

The joint leadership of the security forces together with a few leaders of the boda boda industry interacted on Sunday, June 7 and took the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of their challenges.

Resulting from this understanding, the Joint Security Forces assured the boda boda leaders that their concerns will be forwarded to the National Task Force in order to come up with a road-map and modalities for the full normalization of the Boda Boda operations.

“The Joint Security Forces appeals and advises all members in the boda boda industry to remain calm and desist from any acts of lawlessness as their concerns have been taken note of. The Joint Security Forces warns all opportunists who seek to exploit the plight of the boda boda operators for their own selfish motives that the law will take its course,” the police said in a statement.

The Joint Security Forces also added that they are closely monitoring the situation and are ready to respond appropriately.

Following the break out of the deadly COVID-19 in most parts of the world early this year, H.E The President on March, 18 grounded the movement of all public and private means in a bid to stem the spread of the virus.