Museveni expected to announce economy reopening on Friday

President Yoweri Museveni will on Friday deliver his new year message as well as his next address on the Covid situation in the country, State House has said.

“President Museveni will this Friday, December, 31, 2021 address the nation at 8pm from Rwakitura, Kiruhura district to give his new year message and Covid updates. The address will be live on all radios and televisions,” Linda Nabusayi, the Senior Presidential Press Secretary tweeted on Tuesday.

In the address, the president is expected to give an account of the year 2021 but also reflect on the new year.

Covid

As part of the address to be held at his country home in Rwakitura, President Museveni is expected to speak to the nation about the ongoing interventions to control the spread of the deadly Coronavirus.

He is expected to speak about the ongoing efforts to ensure at least 22 million Ugandans are vaccinated.

The Health Minister, Dr.Jane Ruth Aceng last week said that only 3.4 million translating into 15% of the targeted 22 million people have been fully vaccinated against Covid whereas 9.1million translating into 44% have taken the first jab.

To this, the president is expected to reinvigorate efforts to have more people vaccinated against the deadly virus.

He is also expected to speak about the recent announcement by the Health Ministry that it had approved Covid booster shots and vaccine mixing for Ugandans.

This is expected to be done early next year, beginning with persons above the age of 50 and those with underlying conditions.

Economy reopening

Key in the president’s address will be the country’s fate in regards the full reopening of the economy which has been closed for almost two years since the pandemic broke out.

During a meeting between the president and the Robinah Nabbanja Covid taskforce on Monday met at his country home in Rwakitura as they presented him with the status report on the Covid situation in the country, the scientists discouraged the full reopening of the economy that they wanted extended for at least two weeks.

However, despite being between a hard place and a rock to go against his words, the president seemed to be in favour of reopening the economy.

According to Museveni, many sectors of the economy have been battered hard by the closure which has lasted two years and continued closure will inflict more injury.

To him, reopening would ease some of the pressure but government will ensure the public strictly adheres to the set Standard Operating Procedures to control the spread of the virus.

However, it remains to be seen what the president’s decision will be on issue of full reopening of the economy.