News summary: Don't lay off workers - Rwabushaija

HEALTH  VIRUS

 

 

Rwabushaija says employers should be considerate despite slow business because the business will normalise.

 

 

She also wants employers to offer salary advances to workers to cope with the situation.

 

Rwabushaija has, in the same way, encouraged the government to ensure it provides protective gear for all medical workers to avoid contracting coronavirus as they attend to patients.

 

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Police in Kampala is holding teachers of Kabojja Junior School who defied the presidential directive to close schools to control the spread of COVID-19

 

 

The Police say they found pupils at school and held them until their parents came for them, according to Kampala Metropolitan Police deputy spokesperson, Luke Owoyesigire.

 

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A section of the Members Parliament have called for the relaxation of payment of loans, rent and utilities for at least 90 days to enable Ugandans to cope with the coronavirus pandemic.

 

This comes after the president outlined different measures to deal with the pandemic in the country which included people staying at home.

 

 

The Kampala Central MP Muhammad Nsereko wants National Water to subsidize water charges because water and soap are key in ensuring good hygiene.

 

Nsereko also wants the government to consider a daily allowance of between 50,000 to 100, 000 shillings for medical workers who are involved in the fight against the pandemic.

 

 

Meanwhile, Makindye West MP Allan Sewanyana wants the Government to reduce taxes on all medical equipment and consider the supply of food to the population to ensure they do not die of hunger and starvation.

 

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THE Member of Parliament for Buvuma islands Robert Migadde Nduggwa has shown concern over the country's porous borders in the fight against coronavirus.

 

Migadde says that people on the Islands are freely moving on waters and mixing with people from other countries which he says is likely to increase the risk of transmitting coronavirus.

 

Migadde says the presidential directives on borders should be accompanied with a budget for local authorities to implement them.

 

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The Police has beefed up security at border points to prevent illegal entry into the country to control the spread of coronavirus.

 

 

 

The Police spokesperson, Fred Enanga, says they have deployed both motorized and foot patrol personnel to stop buses, motorbikes and people on foot from entering the country.

 

Enanga says they also sent back people from Kenya and Tanzania who were entering Uganda through Migingo Islands.

 

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People who gave their food to the National Resistance Army rebels have petitioned High Court seeking compensation for their animals and properties they lost during the war.

  

Frank Katongole, Kotirida Namuddu and  Christine Nakabugo the administrators of the estate of the late Ntakigenda are seeking from the Attorney General and NRA over 16 billion shillings worth 300 heads of cattle that used to belong to their grandfather.

 

The duo says that in 1983  NRA established a base in Kapeeka where his grandfather resided and owned more than 300 heads of cattle and as the war intensified and crippled all forms of freedom and made it practically impossible to herd cattle he tried to relocate to Kalungu to start a new life but failed.

 

They say that their grand farther was attacked by warriors of NRA who demanded him to surrender all his cows without compensation which he did in fear for his life.

 

They claim that after the fall of Kampala in 1986 the late Ntakigenda made all efforts to be compensated but all in vain until when he passed on prompting the grandchildren to pursue his claim in court.

 

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The Opposition FDC party has indefinitely suspended all its political activities due to the Covid 19 threat.

 

 

The Party president, Patrick Amuriat Obboi, announced that it is dangerous for them to continue normal operations with and their planned activities calling on the ruling NRM party to follow suit.

 

He, however, expressed concern over the porous borders.

 

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The Uganda Communications Commission has warned the public against circulating fake messages on CoronaVirus.

 

According to the press statement issued by the Acting Executive Director Irene Kaggwa fake videos, photos and WhatsApp messages which don't originate from credible sources should be ignored by the public.

 

Kaggwa adds that as UCC they have the capacity to track any person who may send a fake message if he/she is arrested shall be charged under computer miss-use Act.

 

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High court judge Wilson Kwesiga has set April 14 to decide on whether to release retired Gen. Henry Tumukunde or not.

 

Tumukunde was remanded last week to Luzira prison on charges of treason and unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition.

  

Judge Wilson Kwesiga said that due to the closure of all courts as one of the preventive measures to stop the spread of Covid-19, all parties are to file written submissions and he will deliver his ruling on April 14.

 

 

Tumukunde applied to be released on bail so that he commences his countrywide consultations in preparation for the 2021 general elections which consultations are on hold by President Museveni due to Coronavirus.

 

He says that he is a presidential aspirant for the forthcoming general elections and submitted his notification to the Electoral Commission and if not released on bail he won't be able to carry out countrywide consultations.

 

Tumukunde also says that he is of advanced age 61, has a fixed place of residence at Upper terrace  Kololo, married to Stella Tumukunde and sole breadwinner to his family of 7 children.

 

He adds that the offences are bailable since he is still presumed innocent, he is not a flight risk and that has no likelihood of interfering with investigations and prosecution witnesses and will abide with all terms and conditions that will be granted by the court.

  

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Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital has suspended hawkers, food vendors plus and caretakers of patients from the hospital premises as a way of preventing the spread of Coronavirus.

  

Dr Celestine Barigye - the hospital director says the hospital receives patients from the neighbouring countries like Rwanda, Tanzania, and DRC among others where they have been confirmed cases of COVID-19, which puts it the country at risk of getting more cases.

  

Dr Barigye says patients will be allowed to come with one caretaker to avoid congestion at the hospital.

 

He also reveals that the hospital will equip health workers with necessary preventive measures like masks, sanitizers among others to avoid getting the disease.

  

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As one of the measures to combat the coronavirus pandemic, President Yoweri Museveni, last week banned bars, schools, churches, and any other social gatherings, purposely to avoid risking people's lives from getting infected with COVID-19 pandemic.

 

 

Over the weekend, a joint security team has kick-started operations in Kampala and its suburbs, aiming at cracking down all bar owners, who have continued to defy the presidential directive on closing their bars, over Coronavirus threats.

 

The operation comprised of Police officers, army, and the Local defence Unit operatives.

 

 

The operation has raged on in areas of Kabalagala, Kansanga, Bbunga, Munyonyo, Salaama road, Makindye, Nateete, Kampala City Centre, among other areas.

 

The Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson, Luke Owoyesigyire, told The New Vision, that, as a result, several bar owners including their customers, were arrested and detained.

 

The most affected bars included; Comrades bar, TVIZ bar, Yosan bar, Starbucks, Peace-land, Twister, Pyramid, Monyonyo Hotspurs, among others.

 

 

However, the Police say that since Courts remain closed, they will not detain suspects beyond the authorized 48 hours.

 

"We are actually going to caution these suspects and immediately release them so as to avoid congestions in our custody," said Owoyesigyire.

 

Meanwhile, Police on Saturday raided the Centre of Revival Church, located at the former Club Amnesia, on Kampala road, and arrested a pastor, identified as Willy Kanyike, after he was found with four others, conducting prayers.

 

 

On the other hand, during the training of military personnel by officials from the ministry of health and the World Health Organisation on how to fight the pandemic, last week, the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), Gen. David Muhoozi, disclosed that the Uganda People's Defense Forces is ready to enforce the President's directives on combatting coronavirus (COVID-19).

 

Gen. Muhoozi, also directed the Deputy Chief of Defence Forces, Lt Gen Wilson Mbasu Mbadi, to create an enforcement team to work with the Ministry of Health.

 

 

Dr Issa Makumbi from the Public Health Emergency Operations Centre thanked Muhoozi for giving the ministry and his team an opportunity to train the soldiers about the disease as this will help equip the UPDF medics to further train other soldiers in other Units.

 

He asked the CDF to involve the soldiers in the fight against (COVID-19) by deploying them to work with the Ministry of Health in manning the border points and other routes that may bring in foreigners illegally to stop people coming in with the Virus.