Sh10,000 contribution towards covid fund is voluntary

Many people have raised concerns over the sh10,000 COVID-19 Fund appeal made to selected Chief Executives, for a contribution by their employees.


It is basing on this that the COVID-19 Fund wishes to clarify that the contribution is purely voluntary. 

"The team sincerely apologises to Ugandans who may have misconstrued this appeal.

"This is NOT compulsory giving, but a purely voluntary appeal made to the selected categories to support the health sector," says Emmanuel Katongole, chairman COVID-19 Fund.

Prime Minister Ruhakana Rugunda recently unveiled a 15-member team appointed by President Yoweri Museveni to manage the COVID-19 response fund.

The team includes Eng. Emmanuel Katongole, the chairman board of directors UNOC; Robert Kabushenga, Chief Executive officer (CEO) Vision Group; Apollo Makubuya, a lawyer; Keith Muhakanizi, secretary to the Treasury; Patrick Mweheire the regional chief executive of Standard Bank Group; Dorothy Kisaka, a senior presidential advisor, who is also the Fund's secretary and administrator.

Other members are Bwoch Gustavas, who chairs the board of Centenary Bank; Aga Sekalala, managing director Ugachic; Dr. Francis Omaswa, executive director of the Global Health Workforce Alliance.

The team also includes Dr. Diana Atwine, Permanent Secretary Ministry of Health; Ian Clarke, chairman Uganda Healthcare Federation; and Bishop Joshua Lwere, the general overseer National Alliance of Pentecostal and Evangelical Churches.

The Fund presented the fundraising strategy and proposed to mobilise their employees to contribute sh10,000 each, that the businesses could consider a top-up.

The COVID-19 Fund stressed that this contribution was purely voluntary and no single employee would be forced to contribute.

Furthermore, the contribution is voluntary both to individuals and to companies and indeed the fund has seen several employees unsolicited, making contributions. 

On May 12, the Fund sent out a letter to selected Chief Executives spelling out the appeal.

Katongole, earlier called upon several categories including cabinet ministers, members of parliament, government employees, the private sector and those in the diaspora to contribute to the cause.

As a result, the fund has received positive responses from several of these categories.

If every employed Ugandan contributed sh10,000, this could go a long way in solving #Covid19UG problems — Eng. Emmanuel Katongole

BANK NAME: STANBIC BANK Garden City

ACCOUNT NAME: NATIONAL RESPONSE FUND TO COVID-19

ACCOUNT NUMBER:

SHS 9030017338551

USD 9030017342974 pic.twitter.com/5duo9DDHrr

— The New Vision (@newvisionwire) May 4, 2020

Once again the Fund has appealed to all Uganda to come together and unite at this time of the COVID-19 pandemic.