The Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga has asked government and all members of the security council to revisit the curfew policy becuse it’s negatively affecting Uganda’s economy.
It’s now a full year since President Yoweri Museveni ordered a nationwide lockdown in a bid to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus.
“Except for cargo planes, lorries, pickups and trains, starting on March 31 at 1900 hours, there will be a curfew throughout the whole of Uganda,” Museveni said one year ago.
However, according to reports filed by many civil societies since the declaration of the curfew last year in March, there has been a lot of human right abuses done on Ugandans by the security forces.
In one of the reports filed on Uganda by BBC, 3 months after the president’s directives, at least 12 people had allegedly been killed by security officers in the process of enforcing measures to restrict the spread of coronavirus.
The report mentions Joyce Namugalu Mutasiga whose husband was shot dead by the security officers at night despite the fact he pleaded for mercy.
“Somebody is moving away from you and then you shoot him? At least they would have said sorry, because his life will never be back, and now I am going to struggle with the children,” she said.
Several reports and pieces of evidence have shown that all killings were done in the hands of policemen, soldiers and members of an armed civilian force called the Local Defence Unit (LDU).
While other reports that have been done recently pin the state to use curfew as leverage to arrest and torture people for political reasons.
In September last year, the president started lifting some bans on different economic activities like public transport, salons and restaurants. However, some businesses are still suffering yet currently the curfew directive is no longer effective and it’s now one of the ways security officers are exploiting Ugandans.
Businesses like Bars and Concerts that employ artistes are still under a lockdown due to the curfew time which is currently at 9:00 pm.
It’s from that background that the Kamuli Woman member of Parliament while presiding over the plenary on Wednesday asked the responsible parties to revise the curfew policy since it has now turned into an obstacle to the growth of Uganda’s economy.
“I urge the government to revisit the curfew policy. It’s negatively impacting the economy; e.g., the Tourism industry. After the relaxation of the lockdown Airlines resumed flights into and out of Entebbe. KLM, Ethiopian & Turkish Airlines jet in after 9.00 p.m and take off thereafter.”
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