Why Museveni’s call to EA chief Kagame requires utmost attention from Tanzania and Kenya on new Covid-19 cases threatening region

Uganda announced a new Covid-19 case, a Burundian national who accessed the country from Tanzania.

President Yoweri Museveni confirmed to citizens during his national address on Sunday night that he had called East African chairperson and Rwanda President Paul Kagame.

President Museveni did not go into details about their conversation with Kagame.

The President’s call to the Rwanda leader arose from the concerns of the population about the region’s two hot spots Tanzania and Kenya.

The minister of health Ruth Jane Aceng last night confirmed the nation’s 56th case.

Aceng confirmed through her Twitter handle: “1 new case confirmed today, out of 1,117 samples tested at @UVRIug . The new case, a 46 year old Burundian refugee arrived from Tanzania and was under quarantine at the time of test. Total confirmed cases is now 56.”

Uganda has done very well with managing the Covid-19 since the first case was confirmed in late March from Dubai.

The country’s cases mainly were citizens returning from business trips and those who have been living abroad.

The countries mentioned by the ministry of health have been United Arab Emirates UAE, USA and UK among others.

President Museveni took immediate action after the first Covid case was confirmed.

The President closed Uganda’s borders and suspended all flights and closed Entebbe International Airport.

He went on to suspend public transport which included; taxis, buses and boda boda. And then moved to suspend private movement within the nation.

This left the country tot deal with those who had returned from the various countries and had been quarantined.

With no movement, Covid-19 hasn’t terrorised the nation with the graph remaining flat.

However, the President allowed cargo flights and trucks to bring in essential goods.

It has now emerged, the truck drivers are the country’s headache. There have been three cases confirmed but with one Ugandan driver as one of them. The other two are from Kenya and Tanzania.

Tanzania posted 84 cases as confirmed by their minister of health Ummy Mwalimu.

The country had most of these cases coming from within the country.

Dar es Salam, the capital registered high 33 cases, Arusha 4, Mbeya 3, Kilimanjaro 3, Pwani 3, Tanga 3, Manyara 2, Tabora 1, Dodoma 3, Ruvuma 2, Morogoro 2, Lindi 1, Mara 1, Mwanza 3, Mtwara 1, Kagera 1 and Rukwa 2.

Zanzibar alone registered 23 cases according to minister Mwalimu.

Kagame has a huge job on his job to do with Tanzania’s spiralling numbers. And the manner in which they have handled the management of Covid-19 within the country.

The region’s economic powerhouse Kenya took a hard line by warning those who stay outside during curfew hours would be quarantined.

The move saw the country with 11 cases at the end of Monday. Kagame will be required to call up Tanzanian President John Joseph Pombe Magufuli to share with him the significance of taming his people and keeping the numbers down.

With movement of trucks and air cargo, the region is high risk if the numbers in Tanzania continue to grow.

How will the 380 Million East African region relax the lock down’s if Tanzania continues to face problems? How can the region cope with Covid-19 if it goes out of hand? Does the region have the capacity to deal with bigger numbers in their hospitals?

Kagame will have shared the need for tightening movement within the country. Imposing social distancing and preventing public gatherings.

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