Why President Museveni should consider opening institutions of learning, religious groups & bars

Opinion: Why President Museveni should consider opening institutions of learning, Religious groups and Bars

The war against Covid-19 is not yet over with the rising positive cases and deaths.

Early this year a pandemic unexpectedly hit Uganda and other countries. Every Leader throughout the world we’re worried, some resigned while others got infected and others perished.

In Uganda led by a Bush war veteran who with his experience in fighting both wars and contagious diseases like Ebola Marburg and the Six killer diseases who had chance to meet his ‘Nyinanchwende’ during his early age who told him about how they defeated Small pocks.

The president having heard about the new virus took measures to lockdown the country to take time to study the new virus, how it is spread, whether or not it can be treated or vaccinated or prevented.

Months later guided by Health experts he began to open the country in phases leaving churches, mosque, schools and bars closed.

The argument around is that we must first find a vaccine to allow life to be Normal again.

Looking at disorganized crowds in business centres I find no reason for opening Churches schools and Bars.

These would be more organized and easy to supervise.
In the last Youth election that convened over 5M people voting by standing behind candidates with health measures and in the end the process was successful and a few or no cases were reported as a result.
Looking at the testing rate that in 5Months government has only tested close to 500,000 samples, Government food for kampala and wakiso took around 3Months, Government free masks now 3 months and yet not even half of the population has received masks.

Looking at this information, Institutions of learning consist of over 15M people, meaning it would take government 5 years to test 15M students looking at the testing capacity.

This alone disqualify the argument that schools should remain closed.
Our former colonialists and Political role models Britain was hit harder by Covid-19 but today they have eased the lockdown, opened churches with strict health guidelines, Putting on masks , Sanitizing and a ban on singing in church and practicing Social distancing.

This has worked and the rate of spread is lowering due to the discipline of the people.

They are opening institutions of learning next week with strict health guidelines ovcourse.

If social distancing is working for politicians as witnessed during the NRM delegates conference, for National prayers as held recently working for military schools where we saw thousands graduating last week and graced by Sabalwanyi HE. President Museveni then the same can be applied to other areas.

We can do this to decongest business places by calling back 15M students to organized centres of academic excellency.

The last time I visited Kampala international University on their scientific graduation last week, I found Sanitizing points on every entry and exit point beginning from the main gate and all offices with Askaris standing on every door with temperature guns.

You just can’t enter their premises without a Face mask.

This level of organization must be emulated by other institutions of learning this is so while the university is still closed for usual Business.

We must learn to live with Covid-19 just like other diseases like our neighbors Tanzania.

As advised by Rt Co. Dr Kiiza Besigye we must as well teach the population on how to boost their immunity to capacitate the body to fight the virus by itself, this must be another Campaign after the “Tonsemberera” campaign.

With Social distancing everywhere, Sanitizing, Putting on masks and Immunity boosting, we shall be able to overcome this virus and we shall come out as victors in the end.

Article by Kelly Bernard Nzaghale
Law Student KIU
Human rights activist