Covid-19: Each vulnerable Ugandan to receive Shs100,000 as relief fund

Vulnerable Ugandans are going to receive Shs100,000 as relief fund, according to sources  within the National taskforce for Covid-19.

In the meeting held on Wednesday, the taskforce headed by Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja resolved that a few districts  such Mukono, Kampala, Wakiso and Karamoja will benefit from the arrangement.

Sources revealed that decisions were based on the reports by the National Planning Authority (NPA) and Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) which showed the people in Kampala and nearby districts are vulnerable given the fact their jobs are at a standstill due to lockdown.

To ensure efficiency and authenticity, the taskforce at that same time ordered the Ministry of Gender together with Kampala City Authority (KCCA) to make another thorough endorsement on the selected groups that will receive the money.

According to the Minister for Information and National Guidance Dr. Chris Baryomunsi, the resolutions made in the meeting will also be discussed in the first meeting of the new cabinet next week on Monday.

“We analyzed reports and look at the concentration of vulnerable people where we discovered that in Kampala, and other nearby districts they are more vulnerable people, however, this is not the last resolution because we shall have the last decision in the coming cabinet meeting where we shall agree on the mode of execution, and when to start,” Dr Baryomunsi said.

Sources allude that the taskforce preferred to give out money instead of food because in the first lockdown food entailed a lot of processes such as procurement, bidding of companies that are varying to supply it however money will require no processes.

In the meeting, it was also agreed that each person will get Shs100,000 and they will consider only sim cards that have been operating before the second lockdown. This is because it was discovered that some Ugandans have been buying new sim cards ever since Prime Minister Nabbanja clarified that only those cards that have been receiving or sending money less than Shs300, 000 will receive the relief funds.

“We see on your transactions, the moment we see that your transactions range from Shs500,000-300,000, we shall remove you. Someone vulnerable can be clearly seen and we also have records from NIRA but also I don’t want the entire country to expect this money,” she said.