2021 Polls: Police steps up enforcement of COVID-19 rules

The Uganda Police Force have stepped up enforcement of coronavirus suppression measures at campaign rallies ahead of next year's general election.

The state minister for internal affairs, Obiga Kania, said despite pleas and warnings, millions of people still disregard rules set by the Ministry of Health and the Electoral Commission (EC) to combat the spread of COVID-19 during the ongoing campaigns.

"We have increased enforcement. The Police and other security agencies are continuing to use the carrot-and-stick approach to protect people from the coronavirus," Kania told New Vision on Sunday.

Under the health ministry rules, all mass gatherings for churches, political rallies, meetings and weddings should not exceed 200 people.

EC rules governing campaigns also enjoin conveners of meetings and venue owners to ensure social distancing of two metres apart for the attendees.

The rules also say the candidates and venue owners must ensure handwashing facilities and sanitisers are provided. That the supporters attending the meetings wear face masks at all times at the venues.

However, Kania said some candidates such as the National Unity Platform presidential candidate, Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine and Patrick Amuriat of Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) have been marshalling big crowds in contravention of the rules.

The minister said this is increasing the risk of new COVID-19 infections in the country.

"Kyagulanyi and other candidates should stop this nonsense of putting the lives of people in danger," he warned.

Kyagulanyi and Amuriat have set the tone for their parties, with raucous crowds flouting COVID-19 rules. As the two candidates traversed regions such as West Nile, Acholi and Teso, they constantly marvelled at the huge crowds they had pulled and appeared to mock the smaller gatherings of President Yoweri Museveni of the National Resistance Movement (NRM).

Analysts said this reflects the opposing attitudes each candidate holds about the seriousness of the COVID-19 pandemic.

While the NRM worries that these mass rallies and processions could increase the spread of the deadly virus, many politicians in the Opposition say the danger is exaggerated and that the so-called COVID-19 rules are subject to the interpretation of partisan security operatives.

"There is a clear contradiction in the manner in which the COVID-19 rules are being enforced. On any given day, there are crowds in our markets and business centres such as Kikuubo in Kampala's central business district.

And yet there is no interest to enforce these rules in those areas. Instead, there is a rage about stopping rallies by opposition presidential candidates," a recent joint statement by five opposition candidates said.

The five candidates are Kyagulanyi, Amuriat, Norbert Mao of Democratic Party, Maj. Gen. (rtd) Mugisha Muntu of Alliance for National Transformation and Lt. Gen. (rtd) Henry Tumukunde, an independent.

FDC spokesperson Ibrahim Ssemujju said COVID-19 is real, but they had taken a decision to resume their normal lives.

"Normal life has resumed in Uganda almost in each and every aspect. It is pretence on the side of Museveni to say he will not hold rallies because he cares about the spread of COVID-19.

COVID-19 is just being used as an excuse to stop our mass mobilisation," he added.

SIGNING MOU EC chairperson Justice Simon Byabakama also announced that they require all presidential candidates to sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with them, committing themselves to abide by the guidelines the commission puts in place during the campaigns.

However, EC spokesperson Paul Bukenya told this paper on Sunday they were yet to set the date for the joint meeting and that presidential candidates had not yet signed the MOU.

President Museveni recently took umbrage against mass rallies held by Kyagulanyi and Amuriat.

"Don't join those enemy groups forming crowds that will put people in danger. This bankruptcy of calling people in such dangerous times is criminal. We are going to deal with these people," he told a select group of NRM leaders in Apac district recently.

He said NRM had decided it would engage voters through house-to-house mobilisation.

"If it was safe, there would be rallies and nobody would have bigger rallies than the NRM, but we care about your safety," Museveni said.

EC set November 9, 2020 to January 12, 2021 as the campaign period for presidential, parliamentary and local government campaigns. The polling day is January 14 for the president and MPs, and January 20 for district chairpersons and mayors.

There are 11 candidates in the presidential race, who also include independents Joseph Kabuleta, Fred Mwesigye, Willy Mayambala, John Katumba and Nancy Kalembe, the only female contender.