Cinema operators petition Parliament over reopening

Cinema operators have become the latest group to petition Parliament in a bid to get government approval to reopen for business.

Cinemas are one of the businesses that were affected by the nationwide lockdown that was put in place in March by the government to curb the spread of coronavirus in the country.

The operators of cinemas on Wednesday presented their petition to the Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga in the hope that the national COVID-19 task force to consider their matter.

"I have received a petition from operators of cinemas in Kampala. They say that even under ordinary circumstances, they have special operating procedures but they have not been considered for re-opening. They are requesting the National Task Force to consider their matter," Kadaga said in a Twitter post.

"I will be sending this petition to the Prime Minister so that something can be done about it. I also ask the government to progressively look at all the sectors that are still closed so that our people can get some reprieve," she added.

Kadaga has in recent months received a number of petitions from different stakeholders in the economy including traders operating in city arcades seeking to have the government relax its lockdown measures for business to resume.

On Tuesday, a section of artistes including comedians, musicians, and film actors met Kadaga to present a petition against the newly set regulations on arts which they described as draconian and unfair to the industry.