How South Sudan minister was arrested in operation against shisha smokers in Kampala
A South Sudan minister was among the 17 suspects arrested by police on Saturday night during an operation to crack down on shish smokers in various bars across Kampala, the Nile Post has learnt.
According to Kampala Metropolitan Area Police spokesperson, Luke Owoyesigyire, the operation which targeted smokers of cigarettes and shisha in public places was carried out at De Posh bar, Savanah bar and Forest bar all found in Muyenga and Kabalaggala suburbs.
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“The operation was carried out past midnight in which we arrested 17 people including whites,”Owoyesigyire told this website on Sunday.
Following the operation the suspects were detained at Kabalagala police station but it is here that the South Sudan minister was able to identify himself prompting police to swiftly release him in a bid to avoid a diplomatic embarrassment between the two friendly countries.
“In the morning during the screening of suspects, he identified himself as a South Sudan minister. We then consulted the country’s embassy and after confirming he was the one, we released him,”Owoyesigyire told this website.
Police has always carried out operations against shisha smokers in public places.
Officials from the Uganda National Health Consumers' Organization a body that creates an advocacy platform to raise the voice in regards the protection of consumers’ rights commended police for carrying out the operation.
They said the suspects should be arraigned in courts of law but urged that the operations should extend to other parts of the city.
The Tobacco Control Act 2015 (TCA) which became operational on May 17, 2016 banned the sell, smoking, promotion and importation of shisha, electronic cigarettes and kubar whereas it regulated the sell and consumption of normal cigarettes.
According to the act, a convicted tobacco user and its products consumer is fined a sum of sh240,000 or imprisonment for a year or both.
For the seller, he is fined a sum of sh20m or even the withdrawal of the business license.
