President's warning on COVID-19

President Museveni's heartfelt warning on the coronavirus should not be taken lightly by those who feel that all the efforts so far taken by Ugandan citizens have already beaten this disease.

It is far from it! In South Africa, the virus is swiftly inching its way towards the ten thousand death mark.

Unfortunately, many Ugandans live by the phrase "if death comes, we shall greet it". They are nearer than they expect!

The President, and his helpers, have fought a great battle against this coronavirus. It is time to use the army, where other means are on the way to fail.

Does President Trump enjoy whichever drug he is taking which is unlikely to gain sympathy in November from voters to win a second term?

It seems too late for that already. The President looks fatigued and already half the old warrior who beat Mrs. Clinton four years ago.

In fact, he scarcely lifts himself up, all energies spent, and croaks, "They do not even like me, that's all!"

Trump today looks trapped. There are six states planning "all mail" ballots this November, after California recently joined Utah, Hawaii, Colorado, Washington, Oregon; and more could follow.

They will automatically all use registered voters' postal ballots dropped off on Election Day.

About half of US States allow any registered voter to vote by post, upon request. In 2016 nearly a quarter of votes were cast by post, expected to rise this time round.

This is because of preventing large gatherings at polling stations: no reason needed.

Trump has already done it. But already Republicans (his own Party) have said to him: "You can't delay elections."

Back to Tanzania, of which I have written much, recently. The first thing we noticed was about the total lack of face masks on its citizens' faces.

On the seventh-day TV of every programme we saw, all entirely related to President Mkapa's funeral, one face mask, out of the thousands of people we saw on the TV! Coming as we did, from Uganda, where if you saw only a hundred a day, it felt strange.

Will our African Continent, alone of all continents, continue its lonesome journey against this terrible disease, as other continents fight for the necessary means to defeat it? What will our descendants think of us?

On the other hand, I have to say that the demeanour of the Tanzanian President, Rais Dr John Magufuli towards the new widow and the citizenry of Tanzania could not have been more gracious!

He was first brought into Government by the Rais, the Third Tanzanian President, John Benjamin Mkapa, through the various stages of Minister of Government and finally of the Rais, President of Tanzania.

In all these positions, the 5th President of Tanzania has shown full commitment.

Yet by each single one of its million citizens, Tanzania must have been transported by this full week of total commitment and love of their fallen President.

As for myself, who had known him since 1957, and known him well as a friend, by the waters of this friendship I sat down and wept.

For how long will I ever re-stir the old coals of memory of this once in a life friendship; and with it ­ flourish the hot embers that glow long after such a friendship has been ended by cruel Death?

When we argued long ago, did we expect that we would know each other for so long, 63 years, and at the end of it, be as close, as we were before?

Ben was from the village near where a River split the modern countries of Mozambique and Tanzania, and a stark bridge about a mile brought them close.

After I said to him, "Ben, when will you show us where you were born?

After that we will know you more thoroughly." And so it was done.

Anna, the wife, a Mchaga from far North, got their house in order, another two or three houses we knew in Dar, and a farm in Rushoto in the Ushambara Mountains near South Kenya.  

That was the way in the various households. Ben hired an aeroplane, and we set off in it from Dar. He said, "We book them, if you had the luck to have been Tanzanian President!"

Coming back, where we had parked our plane, about 50 miles away, a dirt road went to the right. It appeared significant.

"That's where I and another little boy went to Secondary School. It took us two days walking from home, with my Dad," said Ben.

I said, "No shoes, I suppose?" He said, "Are you joking?" From somewhere inside my head I remembered when he had told his mentor and first President, Mwalimu (Teacher) Nyerere, how his friends wanted him to stand for President.

I desisted, fortunately. Shoeless president! Was that what Nyerere himself was thinking of?

He had said to Ben, "It wasn't of you I was thinking!"

Yet five years on, by the time the Old President died, he must have wondered what a brilliant President his pupil, Ben, was becoming!

It is how Ben turned out to be fine Gold and I am so glad it was so. Yet even if I'd said this to him, his answer would be: "By God's Will!"