By Editorial
Police have said they will continue dispersing illegal assemblies despite last week’s Constitutional Court decision annulling some of the provisions of the Public Order Management Act 2013.
The Constitutional Court last week held that Sections 5 and 10 of the Public Order Management Act to the extent that they impose penal sanctions on organizers and participants in peaceful public meetings, including demonstrations and assemblies, contravene the Constitution and therefore, are null and void.
Reacting to the development, Police spokesperson, Fred Enanga said the act still gives powers to police to stop or disperse illegal assemblies.
This section provides for organizers of the public meeting to notify police three days before the date of the meeting, assembly or procession.
Mr. Enanga said the organizers, individuals and political groups should know that although it is a fundamental right to peaceful assembly, they also have a duty to inform police.
The police spokesperson explained that in accordance with this section of the law, organizers of assemblies, meetings, rallies and processions ought to inform police of the date, time, details of the assembly, details of the organizers, consent of the venue owner, number of persons expected to attend, purpose and any other basic information to help police intervention for security and traffic assembly plan among others. END