By Fred Siminyu
The Speaker Parliament, Rebecca Alitwala Kadaga has directed that the ongoing Lockdown be immediately lifted if the ministers reported to be flouting COVID-19 Guidelines cannot come up with a clear expiation.
This comes following several accusations of Rowdy Ministers including the Minister of Health, Jane Ruth Aceng refusing to comply with the guidelines put in place to contain the spread of the pandemic.
The Speaker reaction comes in response to a concern that was recently raised in parliament by the Member of Parliament for Kalungu West, Joseph Ssewungu accusing the Minister of Health, Jane Ruth Aceng of advising President Museveni to put in place stringent measures to prevent the spread of the Corona virus yet she on the other hand goes ahead to flout the same guidelines.
The Honorable Minister of Health, Jane Ruth Aceng has consistently advised the president to keep Ugandans under lockdown, curfew, and even impose a ban on crowds plus other stringent measures yet she herself defies those guidelines, he told parliament.
The alleged misconduct of the Minister of Health was evidenced by photos circulating on the various social media platforms showing her addressing crowds in Lira, without maintaining a social distancing and at the same time without wearing a face masc.
Ssewungu urged in parliament that these images that displayed the behavior of Hon. Aceng have angered Ugandans whose businesses have remained closed now for a long time.
Since Hon. Aceng who is not only a Minister but the Honorable Minister of Health who is above all supposed to be the leading custodian of health regulations has gone ahead and defied such regulations, we want to know why she did it, and she should tell us whether she has been misleading the president or not, Ssewungu said.
Ssewungu also asked law enforcers to stop discrimination while implementing the Covid 19 directives because when Hon. Aceng defied the Covid 19 guidelines in Lira, she did it in front of the police but was not arrested.
In his ending discourse, Ssewungu demanded that Hon. Aceng apologizes to all Ugandans for the inconveniences she has subjected to them by unnecessarily imposing on them an endless lockdown and curfew.
Other Ministers likewise accused of defying the guidelines is the State Minister for Kampala Capital City Authority, Benny Namugwanya.
Namugwanya is accused of at one time holding a rally in Mubende contrary to the laid down guidelines.
The State Minister for Microfinance, Haruna Kasolo, is accused of declaring Uganda corona virus free hence contravening the presidential Covid 19 directives and subjecting the life of Ugandans to danger.
In response, Kadaga tasked the trio to explain to Parliament on accusations of flouting the Covid 19 presidential directives.
She asked Government to be serious about the issue of COVID-19. Educate people to learn to live with it by organizing society, to manage it.
For how long will this lockdown continue? I think it is important that we guide our people to live within the situation, but to say lockdown one month, 3 months, 7 months, no! We want an evaluation of this lockdown so we know how to move. This issue of keeping people in suspense isnt right, Kadaga said.
The Speaker rejected the plea of the Government Chief Whip, Ruth Nankabirwa who had come up with a statement saying that the lockdown should not be lifted just basing on actions and statements of but a few cabinet members.
The Speaker rejected this plea saying the three ministers had by their conduct and lamentations clearly and categorically portrayed a clear picture to all Ugandans there is no corona virus in the country.
