Traditional herbalists’ meeting in Kabale is thwarted by security.

On Saturday afternoon, security agents in Kabale district foiled a traditional herbalists’ sensitization meeting.

For the meeting, around 100 traditional herbalists gathered at Town View Wakanda Guest House’s main hall on Mitchel Road in Kabale municipality’s Central division.

During the meeting, however, police officials appeared and asked everyone to vacate the premises immediately. Police also detained one guy, who is believed to be the meeting’s organizer, and took him to the Kabale central police station.

The identify of the guy who was apprehended remained unknown to our reporter. The conference was aimed at finding a path forward on how traditional herbalists in Kabale may get involved in the fight against Covid-19, according to one of the traditional herbalists who declined to provide his name.

He also revealed that the District Health Officer’s office had been invited to the meeting, but that they were astonished to see police officers emerge and force them to leave.

The traditional herbalists meeting was not cleared by security, according to Kabale Resident District Commissioner Godfrey Nkayahuma, and its goal remained unclear. According to Nyakahuma, such pointless meetings are uncalled for because they result in gatherings that the president forbade in his Covid-19 preventive instructions.

According to Alfred Besigensi, the Kabale District Health Officer, the meeting could not take place since his office did not know if the attendees were registered traditional herbalists.

According to Besigensi, when he received their letter early last week, he refused to endorse it and told them not to attend any meetings. Besigensi claims he was astounded to see them disobey the authorities and hold the meeting.

He further claims that ring leaders were inviting other traditional herbalists to the meeting on behalf of the Kabale district health department.