By Mike Rwothomio and Lee Ofoymungu
The head of security at Uganda Revenue Authority Colonel Gideon Kahinda, has labelled West Nile Sub-region as the most resistant and chaotic to the URA enforcement team than any other region in the country.
Kahinda who represented the commissioner General of URA John Musinguzi Rujoki explained that the practice of illicit trade like smuggling is in the entire districts across the country, but no URA enforcement team has been involved in scuffles with the community in those areas unlike in westnile, where officials are pelted with stones, bottles and all kinds of resistance whilst on duty.
This kind of approach according to Kahinda, sometimes provokes the enforcement team to discharge bullets in self-defence.
Kahinda who was speaking to leaders, businessmen and other stakeholders during an engagement meeting convened by URA at Paidha cultural centre in Paidha Town Council Zombo District on 11 January 2024, Assured the community that there will be no more taking of lives of civilians during URA operation in the entire country.
This statement comes just a week after the media has been constantly flooded with the tragic news of the shooting of civilians by the URA enforcement team in the Madi-Okolo District early this month, which left some people dead and others critically injured.
The Madi-Okolo shooting of civilians by the URA enforcement team has generated local and national condemnation with many West Nile leaders calling for an independent investigation into the case, further plugging holes in what they say URA intolerant modus operandi.
Last year, a URA enforcement team in an operation aiming at impounding an unregistered motorcycle, reportedly knocked dead a civilian on a motorcycle in front of Rhema Hospital in Arua City, an incident that elicited torrent of condemnation from many westnile communities.
Kaihanda has called upon the community to embrace the tax obligation as enshrined in the constitution of the Republic of Uganda. He also appealed to the community to refrain from the behaviour of attacking armed URA enforcement teams whilst executing their duties.
” I want to stand here and say smuggling is not only in westnile but in other areas and in all the districts where there is smuggling, we have a URA enforcement team and it’s on record that none of those communities has thrown even a bottle on URA enforcement officers. But here in west Nile, we also have evidence of bows and arrows used by the community to attack our officers” Col Kahinda, The head of security at URA noted .
He added that ” The Community here when you shoot a bullet in the air they say he can not shoot, As we restrain our soldiers, we also call upon you people to desist from attacking armed soldiers”
He regrets the shootings of civilians in West Nile saying “In most cases, those hit by stray bullets are the bystanders”
Kahinda further made a strong statement that ” no civilian lives shall be lost again in the URA enforcement operation”. However, many community members present in the meeting said the assurances are made in the meeting but are not put into action.
The URA enforcement team who paid Ugx 10 million in compensation for the loss of lives in Madi-Okolo said they are also in full charge of those hospitalized.
On June 20, 2024, The URA enforcement team opened fire on boda boda riders who were fleeing the enforcement team in Cheth-dhyang village, corner of Angwen Trading Center Athuma sub county Zombo District. The discharged gun bullets plugged holes on the rooftop of a building belonging to one Mave Ocan, who then demanded a compensation of Ugx 3.5 million from URA.
Relatedly in May Last year, two URA enforcement teams were equally injured in a scuffle with the community in Zombo Town Council.
What the community is saying
During the meeting, Uwile Valentine, a farmer plugged holes in the URA operation stating that ” no one has been brought to book after several wanton killings of innocent civilians”.
He stressed “the need for National dialogue on URA operation” further accusing the tax collectors of selective brutality on the West Nile community which is not occurring in other regions of the country. He also called upon members of Parliament to come strong on laws regarding URA operation in the region.
Francis Bolingo the district councillor of Athuma Sub-county urged URA” to use structures at the district whilst carrying operation”
Bolingo blamed the URA over their wanton shooting of civilians, christening it to last year’s incident in which the Tax collectors fired live bullets that damaged the rooftop of a resident’s building in Athuma Sub-county and the scuffle that ensued in Zombo Town Council respectively.
He also tasked the government they continue collecting taxes from the citizens of greater Nebbi, they work on the most and ever deplorable 119 km Nebbi-Paidha Zeu-Warr-Vura road, its slippery and dusty conditions during rainy and dry seasons respectively, which has been pestering and depressing the greater Nebbi community for decades.
A legal advisor to Paidha Boda Boda association Benard Ular has called for “proper modality on tax collection and mobilization”. He reminded the URA officials of the regrettable incident of 2017, that led to the loss of life in Paidha Central market when a child was reportedly knocked dead by boda boda riders trying to flee from the URA enforcement team.
A resident of Paidha Town Council only identified as Festo said ” URA officials are unprofessional, ruthless and have no hearts for the people, unless they change their methods, they will continue to meet resistance, let them educate the masses, allow instalment pay and people will be willing to pay, our people are honest and law-abiding when approached well “
Sam Rwothomio, a resident of Paidha Town Council argued that the high price of number plates is discouraging many people from acquiring it since many can’t afford it.
Rwothomio also ” called for meaning corporation between URA and community” taking peace talks as the bedrock of their activities.
The Uganda Revenue Authority, that is by law mandated to collect taxes on behalf of the government use relevant law in place to carry out their operation.
The locals in Zombo have now tasked their area members of Parliament to table bills in Parliament that can “streamline the operation of URA”.
Recently, The URA enforcement team almost clashed with the community in Paidha Sub-County as they attempted to impound unregistered motorcycles of the community that were attending funeral services. This according to the council speaker of Zombo Hassan Ringtho was unacceptable and intolerable.
People who constantly engage in a cat-and-mouse chase with the URA endorsement team in the west Nile Sub-region are the boda-boda riders operating unregistered motorcycles. The chairperson of the Zombo District Boda Boda association Fred Onenarach who stressed the need for more sensitisation of the members also urged “the URA to stop transferring impounded motorcycles to Arua city but keep in Zombo or Nebbi where they can easily access “.
He equally called for subsidization in prices of registered number plates so that the impoverished rural community of Zombo could easily acquire them.
The LCV chairperson of Zombo James Oruna Oyullu has called upon the ” community and URA to work together in peace and harmony such that bloodshed can’t be witnessed whilst collecting taxes”.
He added that paying taxes is everyone’s responsibility but should done peacefully and lawfully.
Last year, The Resident District Commissioner of Zombo Retired Lt Col Pius Alitema, called upon the URA to first involve the District security committee whilst carrying out their operation in the district. This according to Alitema will help reduce scuffle between the community and URA. However, The URA is yet to put the appeal into practice.
Last year, a fracas ensued in Jupangira Sub-county Nebbi District, after a Community from DR Congo impounded 4 motorcycles belonging to Ugandans in retaliation after URA impounded some motorcycles with Congolese registration numbers.
Relatedly in 2022, A real scuffle ensued in Zombo District after members of the Zombo Boda Boda Association had threatened to torch the offices of URA at Padea Border customs in Padea Town Council after 14 Ugandan motorcycles were impounded by Congolese in DR Congo after URA impounded 2 motorcycles with DR Congo registration number.
The government of Uganda is strengthening its revenue base as the western world continues to cut funding and donations to the country. This followed the country’s passing of a stringent anti-homosexuality act that completely outlaws the practice.
