A Friend’s 10 cents on Uganda’s COVID-19 Response.
On the 4th day prior to the 1st April total lock-down, , as I went about my business I noticed that save for a few boda boda operatives, most of them had abided
and were not carrying passengers. The
taxis were parked not packed, the
village welder in Kabowa slum where I carry out my to day to day work had
improvised creating a wireline just before his business premises and at that
very point provided water and soap for
any potential customers to wash their
hands before contracting any business with him.
This
turn of events was very bewildering to me as I used to think Ugandans are very
obstinate and so caught in some of their ways like littering, driving recklessly,
overloading passengers, imposing make shift businesses in illegal spaces
including roads… that rebellious drill. I was thus pleasantly surprised at the turn of
events as save for some exceptions looks like everyone is doing their part to
beat this virus. With this fact, is the realization that we are actually a
people who can actually adhere albeit with some anomaly to
instructions from our leaders. Which begs the question, are our leaders leading
by example and have they created other leaders to successfully be in action as
examples as we carry on this fight against COVID-19?
Looking
around the globe and so close to home to the neighbouring countries of Rwanda
and Kenya and how their leaders have responded, the answer that comes to mind,
is ours is an inept and selfish leadership that only implements what will keep
them in power at the expense of everyone and everything that matters. And if you had any doubts, carefully analyse
the 3/30/2020 directives on the total lockdown.
Besides totally being contradictory, the instructions were proof that
there was no risk assessment done in terms of welfare and people governance.
Until now, boda bodas even with their reckless
crimes and the havoc they bring to the city where the untouchables especially as the order from above was “don’t
touch my anointed voters” today, none of
them is above the law and those who think otherwise are vaccinated with kiboko
lest we all catch a cold.
We
all remember very well the story of Matthew Lukwiya the doctor who died while
serving others at the hands of the Ebola epidemic in 2000. Twenty years on, our
local medical workers who daily put their lives at the frontline of such epidemics,
are told they can be substituted for Cuban doors and all because of their
request for a justifiable increase of their salaries. Well, today we all know
the precious Cuban doctors won’t be here for us as Italy calls.
One
thing that this virus has done is completely slow down the pace of the whole
world. And as the cliché goes, if life gives you lemons make lemonade, our
leadership can use this crisis to revamp its broken system. This is the time
for them to step up and rather than buying more ammunition or splashing sacks
of money to the few as seen in the past, tax relief should be given to all
those that are still working, food assistance to those living below the poverty
line, a freeze on utility bills, equipping all health facilities with the
necessary resources and even working together with opposition for the common
good of the people.
The
recommendations as given by our president and the ministry of Health are all good
but they only count for so much without everyone collectively being catered for
with the basic necessities. The fight against the pandemic, as evidenced in the
rest of the world, is not an easy one, but as a bruised country let’s also
ensure that in our attempt to fight this common element, we leave no room for
other vices like spiking crime rates or malnutrition. Containing Covid-19 is not a light task, but
by our leaders setting examples, we can overcome this together.
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