{UAH} IS BEING IDLE AND DISORDERLY A CRIME?

IS BEING IDLE AND DISORDERLY A CRIME?

In Uganda, Police have been arresting many people, especially Youths found playing Matatu, Ludo, Mweso etc for being Idle and Disorderly. But now, the President has told Police to stop arresting people for being idle and disorderly. But many people (including some Police officers) are still wondering what exactly it means to be "being idle and disorderly"? Under the Penal Code Act (which is a law providing for crimes and their punishments ) , the definition of being idle and disorderly includes;

1. A prostitute behaving in a disorderly or indecent manner in any public place;

2. A person who wanders or places himself or herself in any public place to beg or gather alms (money or food) or makes any child to do that

3. A person who plays any game of chance (like matatu) for money in a public place

4. A person who acts in a manner that is likely to cause a breach of peace

5. A person without any lawful excuse publicly does any indecent act

6. A person who in a public place loiters for immoral purposes.

The law says that such a person can be imprisoned for up to three months or made to pay a fine of up to three thousand shillings with more severe punishments for people who are prostitutes and loiter for immoral purposes or doing any indecent act.

WHY POLICE HAVE BEEN ORDERED NOT TO ENFORCE IT

This crime has long been protested both by public individuals and the Government because of how hard it is to prove and since no one is prosecuted or charged for that offence there are many claims that arresting officers usually use it as an excuse to ask for bribes in order not to arrest and detain.

 "Suspects" (ahem ! ). In late 2015 the Inspector General of Uganda's Police announced to the public that the offence should no longer be enforced and as such if you are being arrested under the offence of being idle and disorderly please inform the arresting officer that he/she is not allowed to do this. In the words of the IGP "if a police officer arrests you for being idle and disorderly, refuse".

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"When a man is stung by a bee, he doesn't set off to destroy all beehives"

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