More than 100 people have been arrested in Kisoro taverns throughout the Christmas season.

For breaking the COVID-19 preventive measures, more than 100 people spent their Christmas night in police cells. The offenders were apprehended during a joint security operation targeting bars led by Kisoro Resident District Commissioner Captain Peter Mugisha, his deputy Dan Ndikumwami, and Kisoro District Police Commander Henry Kintu.

Security jumped into action, according to Ndikumwami, after receiving information at 11:00 p.m. that Club Hills, a popular hangout, was packed with revelers drinking beer and dancing to loud music. He claims that when they invaded the hangout, they saw people partying freely in contravention of the COVID-19 containment restrictions, which prohibit all social gatherings.

When asked why they were breaking the restriction on social gatherings, Ndikumwami claims that the managers of Club Hills and revealers abused them and barricaded themselves inside. He claims that cutting the padlocks took security nearly five hours to gain access to the club. The security and district COVID-19 task team had cautioned bar owners against reopening without authorisation, according to the RDC, before to the Christmas festivities.

The accused are being held at the Kisoro police station pending their court appearance, according to Henry Kintu, Kisoro District Police Commander. The arrest comes as Uganda grapples with an increase of COVID-19 cases. The Ministry of Health revealed the latest test results on Christmas Eve, revealing that 1,242 persons had been newly infected.

This was the first time the country had registered over a thousand new cases in a single day since September. On Monday, the national COVID-19 task force, chaired by Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja, is due to present President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni with a progress report.