COVID-19: Travel permit scam exposed in RDC offices

COVID-19  GRAFT

 

KAMPALA - When President Yoweri Museveni started announcing measures to stem the spread of COVID-19, beginning with the closure of schools on March 18, public and private transport was later not spared.

 

Only essential service providers were allowed to move and stickers were issued by the Ministry of Works and Transport to ease identification of such people by security personnel who man roadblocks. Essential service providers were also required to identify themselves in case they are driving.

 

However, the Government realised that some people outside the essential category required permission to travel. These included patients, expectant mothers as well as persons who lose their loved ones and need to travel for burial.

 

As such, President Museveni authorised Resident District Commissioners (RDCs) to issue temporary travel permits to those that they would assess and find deserving. But since RDCs were busy co-ordinating other COVID-19 activities, they would delegate some of this work to their staff.

 

It was such a painful experience for whoever wanted to get a travel permit from the different offices of RDCs countrywide as long queues are a daily sight.

 

Whereas some of those trekking to the RDCs' offices for movement permits had genuine reasons, including those with terminally ill patients, others did not have serious reasons as to why they wanted to travel - they simply wanted to run their errands.

 

Consequently, such people added to the long queues at the offices of RDCs. As it turns out, most of such people had money which they used to expeditiously access travel permits, some even without lining up.

 

So, as much as the lockdown worked a great deal in helping to check the spread of COVID-19, some public officials saw an opportunity to make money, taking advantage of the situation.

 

An investigation by Vision Group into the issuance of temporary travel permits since the outbreak of the coronavirus has established the President's directive to the RDCs to issue one-day permits has been severally abused. Many people who did not deserve express travel permits have been able to buy them to enable them drive.

 

Find the detailed investigation only in Sunday Vision or click on our E-paper for details and a lot more 👉 https://epapers.visiongroup.co.ug/