The ongoing coronavirus pandemic seriously poses a very serious challenge not only to our health and economic well-being as Uganda, but also to our society’s basic structures of social cohesion and even our democracy as a state. But we shouldn’t put the blame on the pandemic alone for bringing our society to its knees.
A longstanding anti-human, anti-science, and individualistic narrative is conflicting with the reality of a pandemic that can only be overcome by humanity, science and technology, equity, collective effort, and trust in the democratic institutions that are coordinating and delivering health services and economic relief to the country.
Despite the fear and anxiety, a counter narrative of human compassion, social solidarity, and government responsibility for all Ugandans is playing out in the everyday stories of different kinds of people seeking relief aid and getting it, of local governments taking decisive action, and of brave first responders and medical staff risking their lives to save those people who have been stricken by the virus at our various hospitals around the country especially Mulago and Entebbe hospitals.
There is a lot that has happened ever since Uganda went to Lockdown and some of the incidents are what we can now refer to as our bread and butter results of the pandemic. I can also authoritatively refer to them as miracles that have happened to our surprise since we never expected to see them happen in our life time.
The day president Museveni announced the lockdown; many Ugandans couldn’t believe him because it was something that has never happened in the country. They thought it was a joke until they all woke up to the reality seeing to it that security had started implementing the lockdown by enforcing all the directives that the president had put in place.
A lot has happened, negative and positive but I personally see a lot of positive changes that have happened which I even think should go on as I will be elaborating more in this article. This coronavirus pandemic has impacted religion in various ways, including the cancellation of the worship services of various faiths, closure of Sunday Schools, as well as the cancellation of pilgrimages and festivals all over the world.
Many churches, synagogues, mosques, and temples have offered worship through live stream amidst the pandemic something that has always happened as an addition to help those that can’t always attend the church services to do so at any place of their convenience. It is something that has happened in a well organized manner and todate everyone now believes that whether someone is at home or church, the good lord always listens to our prayers.
The most dramatic result in religion has been the exceedingly quick shift of religious services from in the-flesh to online worship; therefore, the halting of in-person worship has been one of the most significant sudden disruptions in the practice of religion during this period
Religious practices aside, several kinds of networks led by activists across the country have responded to the crises working in hand with the National taskforce by organizing advocacy campaigns calling for compassionate release of people in jails, prisons, and immigrant detention centers; housing for homeless people; a moratorium on evictions and mortgage payments, and other measures which of course the president has always responded to in his addresses to the nation and right now all financial institutions have considered all the requests put to them by government on the issues of loan repayment.
All landlords were asked by government to be patient and avoid evicting anyone during this period which has been a very good move. People in every corner of our country have stepped up and organized volunteers for services like food delivery for the vulnerable, elderly and several individuals have whole heartedly donated brand new cars double cabins, ambulances and vans to the National taskforce to help in the operations during this period something that has really proved that Ugandans love their country and can always come in to fight the battle together with government.
This outbreak has also changed our working mode, many of us have been used to sitting in office to do work that can be done from everywhere and anywhere with help of the technological equipments and software but it’s at this moment that several people have learnt that they can sit and work from home, attend all meetings and conferences online using the various video conferencing software available. The situation has definitely forced consumers, schools, universities, offices and businesses to go digital. I can’t wait to see what transformation and innovation it brings on all fronts, pushing us to leapfrog outdated modes of doing things.
The other thing that I have seen that makes the Uganda of today to be different from that of yesterday is that there is no noise pollution like the one that we have been having all over the country, several clubs, bars, public addresses normally make a lot of noise all over the country but we have had a good time of no noise in our surroundings.
Crime has also been at a small percentage because of the curfew, I even wonder where the thugs, conmen, idlers and street kids are hiding because the city is very peaceful with clean roads and city surroundings which give Kampala a very nice view.
There are very many lessons that Ugandans have picked during this period because of the experiences that they have heard and they will get back to work as change agents who will preach and practice saving, farming and love for their families.
Uganda has come face to face with the reality that we are all interconnected and mutually supporting. The physical distancing that we are required to practice because of the looming virus has the power to bring us closer together, as a nation and a global community putting our differences in culture ,religion or political ideology aside. If we willfully use this moment to fight this scourge, we can change the course of the pandemic and the trajectory of the country’s politics.
But we must do so intentionally and creatively, by working together as Ugandan by abiding by all the directives being put in place to control the spread of the virus.
MICHAEL WOIRA
PATRIOTIC UGANDAN
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