President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni will today open factories in Mbale district.
Despite yesterday putting a ban on all public meetings, President Museveni will go ahead with his earlier schedule of opening factories in Mbale.
While addressing the country yesterday, Museveni said all forms of public gatherings had been banned. “Then the next category of mass meetings are the political or cultural ─ Public rallies, conferences, elections, etc. All these are hereby forbidden for 32 days with immediate effect,” Museveni said in his address yesterday.
However, less than three hours after the address, presidential press secretary sent out a message on the State House Media WhatsApp group telling journalists who had been accredited to cover the event to be ready.
“Team heading to Mbale van leaves at 6.30am sharp tomorrow,” Nabusayi’s message said. This reporter asked whether this meeting wasn’t part of those the president had just banned a few hours ago. In response, Nabusayi doubted whether this reporter listened to what the president had said.
“No to public gatherings but production sectors including industrialization go on. Health precautions at the factory taken care of but no rally,” Nabusayi’s short message read.
Senior Presidential Press Secretary Don Wanyama also weighed in. “Just for your information, whereas the factory commissioning was to have 3,000 guests, this has now been scaled down to 300 so as to have the appropriate social distance,” Wanyama’s message said.
Museveni yesterday issued sweeping orders aimed at limiting the spread of the Coronavirus (COVID – 19) in Uganda, despite the fact that no case has been confirmed in the country so far.
On top of banning all social and political gatherings, the president also banned religious congregations such as church and mosque congregation prayers. The president also ordered all schools across the country closed for 32 days.
The News Editor ,Reporter at Kagadi Kibaale community Radio
