Gov’t Kicks Off Food Distribution Despite Parliament Decision to Halt Exercise

Government has defied the decision by Parliament to halt the distribution of food to people who were affected by Presidential directives on COVID 19.

On 29th March 2020, President Museveni in a bid to contain the spread of COVID 19, banned all transport except for essential service providers and ordered all traders who don’t sell food to close down their businesses.

A National Task Force headed by the Prime Minister was tasked to distribute relief to the affected persons.

The Task Force resolved to begin the exercise of relief distribution on Saturday in Kampala and Wakiso districts.

On Thursday Parliament halted the exercise saying that it should target the entire country not just two districts.

However, yesterday the Minister of State for Relief, Disaster Preparedness and Refugees Hon Musa Ecweru said that exercise will continue despite a Parliament order stopping it.

Ecweru told reporters that the National Task Force has already categorised beneficiaries into four categories of high vulnerability and they include, the orphans living in orphanages, the sick admitted in all hospitals, slum dwellers and the elderly.

“These are in dire need of food support and this food support should have started as early as yesterday. Having consulted all the stakeholders, the Task Force has therefore decided that the exercise of food distribution targeting these categories of people that I have enumerated, will start tomorrow (Saturday),” said Ecweru.

The distribution will begin in Bwaise before it is rolled out in all Divisions of Kampala followed by Wakiso. Government will then review how to take it upcountry.

“It is important to note that food will be distributed door to door by officers from Uganda Police Force, the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) led by Chairpersons LC1s of the villages and supported by the Uganda Red Cross.”

He called on the beneficiaries of the relief to remain in their homes until the food reaches them. This he said is to avoid overcrowding which could facilitate further spread of the virus.

The Chairperson of local Councils he said have already been identified and have been briefed accordingly.