A section of Members of Parliament from Mubende district has sought the provision of relief to people whose businesses have been affected by the lockdown occasioned by the Ebola outbreak.
The MPs including Mubende Municipality representative Bashir Lubega Sempa, Buweekula County’s Pascal Mbabazi and his counterpart from Buweekula South William Museveni yesterday Monday petitioned the office of the Prime Minister.
“In an urban and semi-urban setting like ours, this matter needs to be accorded the urgency it deserves, to avoid the situation to degenerate into crime. This is exacerbated by the fact that our people had a very bad harvest the preceding season,” reads part of their petition to Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja.
On Saturday, President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni through his televised address issued directives restricting movements in and out of the Mubende and Kassanda districts for 21 days to mitigate the spread of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD).
The President instituted a nighttime curfew suspending movement between 7 pm to 6 am as well as the movement of bodabodas, public and private transport vehicles except for cargo vehicles delivering supplies, Ministry of Health vehicles, authorized government vehicles and security vehicles.
These vehicles are also barred from carrying passengers. Also suspended are all seasonal markets, worship places, and social places like bars and gyms.
The President said that these restrictions start with immediate effect and authorities in the two districts have since started enforcing the restrictions by deploying on the major roads connecting with other districts as well as inter-routes.
However, the MPs appeal that some of the restrictions are relaxed.
They seek that bodabodas are allowed to carry cargo, as was the case during the COVID-19 lockdown to enable this section of their community to earn a living.
The MPs also want bodabodas which were impounded on the day the President issued restrictions and those arrested without ample notice to be released unconditionally.
The government confirmed the outbreak of the Ebola Sudan variant on September 20, 2022, in Mubende District and as of October 16, 2022, the Ministry of Health had confirmed 60 cases of Ebola out of which, 24 people recovered, 11 are currently on admission and 25 died.
