Kira Municipality MP Ibrahim Ssemujju Ibrahim Nganda says that the measures are likely to affect a sizeable number of Ugandans, whose livelihood is dependent on their daily income. He says that the category of Nationals needs to be supported to overcome the distress that is likely to come with the measures.
A cross-section of opposition
leaders in Kampala has said that the measures, taken by president Yoweri
Museveni to control the spread of Coronavirus disease – COVID-19, might Be counterproductive
in the absence of economic relief to the most vulnerable groups.
The measures include the ban on
public transport, the closure of markets and shops dealing in non-food items,
the closure of schools, and the call for people to stay home, as the country
battles the deadliest virus that to mankind. The disease has killed more than
200,000 people across 195 countries, over the last two months. Uganda has
registered 14 cases of the disease over the last five days.
Museveni said that he was pushed
to ban public transport because of the great danger that public transport poses
in stopping the spread of the disease.
But Kira Municipality MP Ibrahim
Ssemujju Ibrahim Nganda says that the measures are likely to affect a sizeable
number of Ugandans, whose livelihood is dependent on their daily income. He
says that the category of Nationals needs to be supported to overcome the distress
that is likely to come with the measures.
“The moment you lockdown a
country, you must make proposals of how the people you are asking to remain
home are going to survive? It’s only Museveni who I have heard who is not
making proposals on relief,” Ssemujju said. He also doubted the government’s rationale of
locking down the country when it has no coherent plan of dealing with the
pandemic.
//Cue in… “recurrent budgets
government...
Cue out: at least for a week.”//
Bugiri Municipality MP Asuman Basalirwa
equally welcomes the measures with reservations. He says that although the
measures are welcome especially looking at devastating effects of COVID-19
across the world, in our case, the government is not addressing the economic
interventions.
//Cue in… “We will be...
Cue out… of COVID-19.”//
Joel Ssenyonnyi, the spokesperson
of the People Power Movement, says that the government ought to treat this as a
disaster and, provide relief to the most vulnerable. “Our economy is hand to
mouth; the day people don’t work they don’t eat,” Ssenyonnyi said.
//Cue in… “those measures
being...
Cue out…restrictions, restrictions.”//
Mukono municipality MP Betty
Nambooze doubts the effectiveness of the interventions in the absence of
concessions that would encourage people to stay home, without worries of how to
survival, in the absence of a daily income.
//Cue in… “the positive effects
Cue out… to go hungry,”//
Nakawa Division MP Michael
Kabaziguruka equally says that there should be a deliberate effort to help the
people during such hard times.
