MP kicked out of House over virus

Mr Anthony Akol

PARLIAMENT- Kilak North MP Anthony Akol (FDC) was yesterday forced out of the chambers of Parliament after he confessed to entering the country from South Korea without being screened.

‘If you have come from there please exit the chambers now; please go for self-quarantine,” Ms Rebecca Kadaga, the Speaker of Parliament, said.

Mr Akol attempted to explain his movements but Ms Kadaga insisted he leaves.
“You first go, then we shall establish how you moved,” she said.

The Speaker later posted on her official Twitter handle that; “I have ordered Kilak North MP, Anthony Akol, to exit the plenary chambers, immediately.”

“This followed his disclosure that he had returned from South Korea on March 5, this year but had not been checked for coronavirus,” added the Speaker.

Prior to the drama, Mr Akol had told Parliament how he was disappointed by the country’s inadequate measures at Entebbe airport.
He said he returned from South Korea on February 15, 2020 before heading to South Africa from where he returned on March 5, 2020.
At every entry point while away from Uganda, the MP said he was subjected to thorough screening by host countries, only to be disappointed while home.

“Every airport you go to, they are testing people entering but every time I arrive in Uganda, there is nothing like testing the people. There is no screening. In Nairobi, there is a screen where you just turn and tests the temperature and everything but when you come to Entebbe airport, there is nothing,” Mr Akol said.

But Ms Robinah Nabbanja, the State Minister for Health (General Duties) said Uganda employs advanced scanners.
“Sometimes we use that gadget but we have scanners, which can even scan you from a distance and by the time you arrive, we have scanned you. Whoever comes from those countries which we have discouraged is usually quarantined for 14 days,” Ms Nabbanja said.
Ms Kadaga also cautioned MPs against making unnecessary international travels, lest they fall victims.

Travel restriction
“I want to urge members to desist from non-essential travel unless it is really necessary. Let us stay put in our country because even in the plane you can sit with people who are sick,” she said.

South Korea is one of the countries heavily hit by the novel COVID-19, which has caused global mayhem.
By press time, the country had registered 7,869 confirmed cases of the conoravirus, with 66 deaths.

The global pandemic, has so far spread to more than 200 countries, with a record 126,172 cases and 4,633 deaths reported.
China is the worst hit of all countries with 80,793 infections and 3,169 deaths followed by Italy with 12,462 cases and 827 deaths by press time.

Outside China, a total of 44,500 cases have been recorded around the world since the epidemic began, including 1,431 deaths. Some 1,177 cases are new.