How Six Americans were arrested spying on Speaker Among’s Bukedea School

Bukedea, (UG):- Authorities in Uganda are investigating how six American tourists and their driver were arrested on Friday and detained for nearly three hours for allegedly taking pictures of Speaker Anita Among’s Bukedea Comprehensive School.

The six and their driver were detained for nearly three hours after they were intercepted by a traffic officer identified as ASP Joseph Okia at Kapir Ngora district before they were ordered to drive back to Bukedea district where they were interrogated by District Police Commander-DPC Richard Asiimwe and other authorities including the Deputy Resident District Commissioner, Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID), officer-in-chard (OC) prisons, and others.

Before the sad experience, the Americans travelling in a tourist van had stopped at Bukedea Comprehensive School where one of them, Richard Dick Burk took a photo saying the school is where some of the students supported by their non-government organizations-NGOs attend.

Burk is the president of a number of NGOs including Arlington Academy Uganda and Reach for Uganda supporting students in Anita Among’s Bukedea Comprehensive School and other schools in Bukeda and the country. The NGOs are also constructing schools in the country.

“They were heading to Murchison Falls National Park from Sipi Fall for a holiday. When he took the photo, the school gateman came out with a stick barking at us and we left. I think he called police,’’ a source narrated.

Sources say the traffic officer who intercepted them in Ngora district was called by DPC who ordered him to send them back to Bukedea district, about 50 kilometres.

Upon interrogation in Bukedea and as phone calls continued going around, one of the directors confirmed that the group was known to the speaker and they were released after photos of their passports were also captured.

“They were upset. We reached here (Murchison Falls) at 8 pm instead of 5 pm,” the source added.

Police spokesperson ACP Rusoke Kituuma confirmed on Monday that he was gathering more information and would share more details. Speaker Anita Among is currently entangled in different corruption-related scandals.