OPINION: PRESIDENT MUSEVENI SHOULD BALANCE CITIZENRY LIFE& LIVELIHOOD TO DETERMINE UGANDA’S FATE AFTER 5th May 2020 LOCK DOWN*

By www.mknewslink.com

In Uganda

Salutations to H.E Museveni, Cabinet Ministers & Health fraternity over their unswerving efforts to handle Country’s invisible enemy- COVID-19 PANDEMIC . keep this Patriotic responsibility to zenith.

As we near to the end of our lock down, the populace is impatiently waiting to hear what unfolds next. As solid citizens of the land @ H.E & his Cabinet; our next fate lies with your decisions . We pray and beg that let your decisions be realistic, sensitive and consider socio- economic status of all Citizens .

Factually; the presidential & Ministry of Health guidelines have played a pivotal role to check the spread of COVID-19 PANDEMIC and subsequent total lock down. It’s prudent upon us to assess their impact on livelihood of Ugandans particularly bearers in informal sector who live Hand to Mouth life. Yes, the Government has reached out to give relief food to vulnerable but we must swallow our pride that very few are being helped and majority may starve because of hunger. Therefore such status-quo calls H.E Museveni and his Cabinet to come up with an informed, sensitive, collective and balanced guidelines that protect lives of Ugandans but at the same time help them survive in this COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Suffice to say, in Europe and Asia; Citizens can be able to handle lock down for months because the system favors so. Some are in salaried employment, saving levels whilst Citizenry are high , Government subsidies are there and people who live below poverty line are unlike African socio-Economic conditions. Ultimately, Am inclined to conclude that that if H.E Museveni & his Cabinet extend lock down without critically assessing Livelihood of Uganda’s Citizenry and extend lock down for sake of it,it is going to be Political disingenuous decision . Africa ‘s economic conditions are different from Europe & Asia and thus, we ought not to be beguiled by their modus operandi in handling COVID-19 PANDEMIC . Yes , some work in African setting but some may not be applicable in our socio- economic mileage.

Infer ably, allow me to adumbrate and give bird’ s eye view on some decisions to sieve and reach on final guidelines

👁 What if Government puts more efforts to close our borders and put more surveillance on porous borders. Majority of Uganda’s COVID-19 Cases have been imported which is wake up call for Government to test whoever enters our country

👁 Open up public transport but allowing half of it’s occupancy to allow Social distancing , make it compulsory for travelers to mask themselves, putting washing points in bus terminals and make owners of bus companies to disinfect vehicles before boarding

👁 Make places of work & offices to continue making hand washing and face masking Compulsory

👁 Health officials from Town Councils, Municipalities & KCCA to make strict supervision that Preventive measures are followed

👁 Community rapid COVID-19 tests to continue to ascertain COVID-19 PANDEMIC SPREAD levels

👁 Infra Red Temperature monitors to be massively imported and Government scrap off import taxes on them to make them affordable . This will make many bus companies, organisations and schools to buy them . This will go an extra mile to identify suspected COVID-19 Patients and get early treatment and check infection levels

👁Let District COVID-19 Task force under auspices of Ministry of Health  continue to supervise businesses , institutions & organisations within their periphery and jurisdiction to follow preventive measures like hand washing, social distancing inter alia and not forgetting facilitation from Central Government to do work diligently

👁 Events that attract massive gatherings like Political gathering, entertainment -clubbing need to remain locked down until COVID -19 dust settles down

We must accept that a small section of people could be profiting from this lock down and their advice would be to perpetually extend the lock down for their ulterior and egocentric interests . But then, certain section of Compatriots hit hard by lock down must be considered because before our Country’s document- Constitution ; all Citizens are equal before our laws of the land and entitled to their birth rights including sanctity of life and therefore, no any single citizen should die of hunger or even starve in this lock down. If the latter happens, it’s negligence of duty by all the Arms of

Government including Executive that is mandated to do domineering role to protect lives of it’s citizenry. We must acknowledge that majority of Ugandans work in informal sector and their Livelihood Question should overlap in final decision by Executive

Pertinent to note; Uganda’s situation needs more interventions in prevention through more public Health awareness , supervision and providing items that help in prevention at lowest prices . Items include soap, sanitizers , disinfectants , masks and accessibility to water. If need be, Government ought to give the fore mentioned items free or if not at lowest price. By this, Ugandans will get back to work while infection levels by COVID -19 are under check.

We must be mindful that COVID-19 Virus becomes more a threat in cold conditions and in one month to come, most parts in Uganda will be experiencing dry seasons and thus not favourable to it’s injurious impact on human body.

It would be irrational & illogical to keep people in lock down and some die of hunger before COVID-19 attacks them. It’s rational & erudite not to starve your fellow Compatriots and generate preventive measures to follow mean while working to bring food on their table. If Government decides to extend lockdown, it’s their national obligation to give food to hungry Citizenry because hunger can kill them before COVID-19.

By & Large, we pray that our Fountain of Honour comes up with solid decisions that balance our life and livelihood. Thus, zeroing on protection of our life and neglecting what keeps us alive especially Citizenry of low socio-economic status is nugatory and stratagem to Uganda’s status -quo. But as always; we count on Visionary Leadership of H.E Museveni to arrive at sublime stand in this COVID-19 crisis

For God and My Country!