“Very few citizens (5 percent) are aware of the toll-free number to call in case of a medical emergency. Slightly more than half of those aware (3%) know such a number exists but cannot recall the actual number. The vast majority totaling 95 percent are not at all aware of the number,” the report noted.
Perusi Namugwere, a P 6 pupil at Kikalu primary school narrates that they neither received the educational materials distributed by the Ministry of Education nor have television at home to follow the lessons conducted on TV.
According to the Access to Information Act, every citizen has a right of access to information and records in the possession of the State or any public body, except where the release of the information is likely to prejudice the security or sovereignty of the State or interfere with the right to the privacy of any other person.
Journalists and organizations promoting access to information have asked Government to prevail over Public offices charging exorbitantly for access of information in Public interest.
At the height of the lockdown which started in March last year, hand washing stations had been set up at the entrances of shopping malls, supermarkets, arcades, markets, and taxi parks. Among other public spaces. Here, guards would remind every person to wash their hands, before entering the buildings. It had become a practice for some and a habit for many as campaigns intensified.
According to the Sauti ZaWanainchi survey conducted between July and August 2020, flush toilets are used by just 1 per cent of the country’s population. It showed that even in urban areas, only 3 per cent of the population had access to flush toilets.
Twaweza’s Sauti Za Wanainchi survey says while access to pipped water has increased across the country, women and girls in rural areas still take more time to access water points.
Half of households (54%) take half an hour or more to collect their drinking water, including time
spent traveling and time spent waiting. For one out of twenty households (5%), this takes over
two hours. A similar proportion (46%) however spend less than 30 minutes collecting their water.
One out of ten citizens (8%) has no work to go back to after this period. This is slightly higher in urban areas (10%) compared to rural (7%) says a survey by Twaweza’s Sauti Za Wanainchi.
As the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) marks the 2020 international Day for Universal Access to Information 28 September, it is emerging that in Uganda, the law is more of on paper than practice.
With 62 civil servants interviewed from national level and across five districts, the study conducted between December 2018 to March 2019 indicate that majority of public servants (both elected and appointed) have limited knowledge of the law.
According to results of the study, majority of Ugandans (about 54%) say that the sub-county governments take their views into account in decisions while fewer (35%) report that they believe the national government considers their views.
