Police in Sembabule has fired teargas and live bullets to disperse the crowd while arresting MP Theodore Ssekikubo and 6 other herdsmen, accusing them of defying the quarantine imposed in the district.
Ssekikubo and livestock farmers in the area attempted to forcefully enter Lwemiyaga Cattle Market which police closed last week.
The veterinary authorities in Sembabule district last year placed a quarantine in the district after the outbreak of the foot and mouth disease in the district.
However, Ssekikubo and the herdsmen claim that it was not necessary to closes markets in the entire district yet FMD had reported in some parts of the district.
In an early morning operation led by Enoch Abaine, the Greater Masaka regional police commander, anti-riot personnel engaged the rowdy herdsmen in running battles that involved firing of tear gas and rubber bullets before the legislator was eventually arrested and whisked away.
Greater Masaka Regional police spokesperson Paul Kangave says Ssekikubo was arrested for inciting violence and resisting lawful orders. According to Kangave, the ministry of Agriculture issued instructions for the enforcement of a total quarantine in Sembabule district.
Meanwhile, the situation remains tense in the whole of Lwemiyaga trading centre as police continue to battle residents who have resorted to blocking the main roads in protest.
