Poverty, defiance greet govt order on face masks

Government is encouraging Ugandans to wear face masks as an effective measure to slow down the spread of coronavirus pandemic.
In his May 4 address, President Museveni made it mandatory for Ugandans to wear face masks in public places. At the weekend, during the national prayers, the President also advised people to shun poor masks being vended in towns and recommended the double clothed ones made by Nytil Jinja, which cost about Shs3,000 each.

However, many Ugandans are adamant to wear them, advancing various reasons.
A mini-survey conducted in public places such as banks, supermarkets, garages, pharmacies, hardware shops, restaurants, wholesale shops and food markets that were allowed to operate found out that compliance to wearing face masks is very poor.
For every 10 people we met, only one was found wearing a mask. In Jinja Town on Monday, people in restaurants and wholesale shops were found going about their business without the protective gear.

Mr James Waiswa, who operates a retail shop, said people are waiting for government to distribute the face masks since it has been receiving donations from well-wishers.
The chairperson of Jinja Central Market, Mr Henry Mugimba, said his team is trying to enforce the behavioural change among the vendors although with challenges.
In Namutumba District, Mr Godfrey Mutundi, a resident of Nabisaka Village, Kiwanyi Sub-county, said he cannot “waste money” buying face masks when he lacks money to feed his family.
Mr Eria Kasisa, a resident of Namalembe Village, said: “If President Museveni gives us free things, including condoms and vaccination against measles and polio, why not give out free masks?”

Security enforcement
In Lira Municipality, people are putting on face masks not as a measure to fight Covid-19 but to avoid being arrested.
We found out that some residents carry the masks in their bags and only put them on after seeing security personnel.
Local Defence Unit personnel and police could be seen forcing people to put on face masks.
In one such operation in Adyel Division, security personnel could be seen entering restaurants, drug shops, food shops and supermarkets, forcing people to put on face masks.
In Kabale District, compliance is very low. Many of the people found without face masks in towns on Tuesday said they lacked money to buy them.
Others said they were waiting for health workers and well-wishers to distribute free ones to them.

The district police commander, Mr Brian Ampeire, said they were yet to enforce the directive.
In Mbarara Town, many of the people have not embraced the wearing of the face masks.
However, several vendors were seen selling improvised mouth and nose masks on the streets. Nevertheless, about four in every 10 people walking on the streets, in supermarkets and food markets were wearing these covers.
The masks are made from different types of clothes and in various colours by tailors. Their price range between Shs1,000 and Shs2,000.
“It is an inconvenience; you don’t breathe well. But to avoid the virus, we have to put it on. I bought mine from a vendor but I’m not even sure it is very effective,” Ms Merceline Kamaranzi, a resident, said.

However, the Mbarara District Health Officer, Dr Peter Ssebutinde, said the locally made masks serve the purpose as long as they are double layered.
In many central Uganda districts such as Kayunga, Wakiso and Greater Masaka, mandatory wearing of face masks in public places was still largely ignored.
According to Ms Safinah Naggawa, a vendor at Nakiwogo Market in Entebbe Municipality, only 30 per cent of those operating from the market wear the masks. The market employs about 2,000 vendors.
“Unless people are given free masks, many will continue to move without them,” she added.

In Acholi Sub-region districts such as Gulu, Kitgum, Pader, Omoro, and Agago, the use of the protective gear is minimal.
Amuru District Health Officer Patrick Odong Olwedo said majority of the residents have defied the presidential directive, arguing that the masks are not accessible.
“The few ones are putting on cloth-designed masks, which are not hygienic and don’t have the basic aspect of what a safe mask is. That cloth will cause more harm than protect the locals,” Dr Odong said.
In Lamwo, the Resident District Commissioner, Mr James Nabison Kidega, said there is a shortage of face masks.
“People in Lamwo don’t know masks and it’s only those in pharmacy and working with NGOs who are having them. If we begin to receive them then enforcing the directives to put them on will be easy,” Mr Kidega said.

In West Nile Sub-region, several people were using the masks at the onset of the lockdown but the situation is different now. Even at checkpoints, the security personnel are not bothered about asking travellers for face masks.
In Arua Town, a few people such as shop attendants, boda boda riders, health personnel and some section of the public were found wearing masks.
In Moyo District, many people were found not wearing the face masks.
Mr Safi Musa, a mechanic in Moyo Town, said people cannot afford the masks. .
However, in Fort Portal, Kabarole District, it is a different story. On Tuesday, whoever came to town without a face mask had it rough with the security personnel on patrols. Army officers were seen stopping cars, boda bodas and people without face masks.

Compiled By Felix Basiime, Bill Oketch, Emmanuel Arineitwe, Scovia Atuhaire, Philip Wafula, Denis Edema, Ronald Seebe, Polycap Kalokwera, Felix Warom, Scovin Iceta, Alfred Tumushabe, Al-Mahdi Ssenkabirwa, Eve Muganga, Fred Muzaale, Wilson Kutamba & Malik Fahad Jjingo.

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