Mubende MPs ask Museveni to relax Ebola restrictions

They said they support the restrictions, however, they should be imposed in a humane way to avoid traumatising people.

Mr Bashir Lubega Sempa, the MP of Mubende Municipality, said during Covid-19, Mr Museveni cleared boda bodas to carry only goods, which should be the case during the Ebola restrictions.

“We are operating a boda boda economy where the biggest population is using them for survival. Many farmers and market vendors in Mubende are outside the town and most of them use boda bodas to transport their produce to the market,” Mr Lubega said.

“These cannot afford private vehicles to transport their goods and produce to the market, so if you leave them open and close their means of transport, It is useless. President Museveni should reconsider the ban on boda bodas,” he added.

The President on Saturday imposed a 21-day lockdown on Mubende and Kassanda districts to contain the Ebola outbreak that has already claimed 19 lives, restricting movement in and out of these districts.

Mr William Museveni, the legislator of Buwekula South, said many school- going children have been using boda bodas and public means to go to school.

He asked government and the Ministry of Education to come up with alternatives on how to transport learners to schools and also permit use of school buses.

Meanwhile, Mr Museveni asked the government to come up with relief for people whose businesses have been affected as a result of the lockdown.

“During Covid-19, the government gave some cash to those whose businesses were affected by the lockdown. The President has imposed a 21-day lockdown on Mubende and Kassanda, how are those people going to survive?” Mr Museveni asked.

Mr Pascal Mbabazi, the MP of Buwekula County, asked the government to release motorcycles that were impounded on Saturday, a few minutes after the President had announced the lockdown.

According to him, many people were caught unaware.

“How can you start enforcing a directive immediately you announce it? They were supposed to give people time to prepare. The government should thus release the vehicles and boda bodas they impounded on Saturday and we start afresh,” Mr Mbabazi said.

Directives 

1. Movement in and out is prohibited with immediate effect.
2. Movement between Kassanda and Mubende prohibited.
3. Curfew from 7pm till 6am for both districts stay at home during curfew hours.
4. Movement of persons within their respective districts allowed during day.
5. Public and private transport not allowed to move within the district. It includes boda boda, taxi buses- no movement coz these are centers for easy spread. They should be parked.
6. Cargo vehicles can move. Ministry and government vehicles (only those allowed) and security vehicles can move within and not between the two.
7. Transit vehicles from Fort Portal, Kagadi and Hoima can transit through these districts and no stopping or picking any one.
8. Cargo trucks can move goods but no passenger. One driver and one turn-boy.
9. Cargo to be delivered during the day. Operators not allowed to spend a night or else they are quarantined for 21 days.
10. Seasonal markets suspended.
11. Mines will remain open no inter- district movement.
12. Schools will remain open and learners have to put on uniform.
Monitor temperature.
13. Temperature should be taken and any child missing school should be reported.
14. Contact and Ebola symptoms stay home.
15. All places of worship are closed.
16. All bars, entertainment gyms and sauna in the districts banned.
17. Samples to be taken from all dead bodies before burial to test for Ebola by a health worker.