By Martha Nakimuli

A group of activists have come out to pressure the government to translate the Ugandan constitution to other languages .

One of the activists ,Barbara Allimadi  who also led the campaign on the brutal arrest of FDC’s  Ingrid Turinawe this time appeared with other activists at Uganda House condemning government over its failure to  translate the constitution to other languages and hold sensitization workshops to explain to the masses what the constitution entails.

Alimadi together with her colleagues were however attacked by the police  shortly after  beginning their campaign .They were forced onto a police vehicle to CPS.They were accused of inciting the public and unlawful assembly.

Ms Alimadi did not stop her activism even after being forced on the police vehicle .She continued to read the contents of the constitution as they drove her and her colleagues to police.

Chapter 1 Section 4 of the Ugandan constitution states that government shall promote awareness of the constitution

“The State shall promote public awareness of this Constitution by-
(a) translating it into Ugandan languages and disseminating it as widely as possible; and
(b) providing for the teaching of the Constitution in all educational institutions and armed forces training institutions and regularly transmitting and publishing programmes through the media generally.

Activists estimate that at least 90 per cent  of Ugandans don’t know what the Constitution entails.