FDC disagrees with government on mode of relief food distribution

Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) has disagreed with government on the mode of the relief food distribution that commenced on Saturday, April 4, 2020 saying it should not be handled by the same joint task force.

On Saturday, government kicked off the exercise to give food to a total of 1.5 million vulnerable people in the districts of Kampala and Wakiso affected by the ongoing lockdown intended to combat the spread of the Coronavirus.

A joint task force on Covid19, which includes officers from the Uganda police, Uganda People’s Defense Force (UPDF) and the Local Defense Unit (LDU), mainly did the distribution of the food.

In a press statement issued on Monday, the FDC Spokesperson Ssemujju Nganda said that what government should have done is to form constituency relief/coronavirus committees that handle the food distribution.

Ssemujju added that the current mode of distribution has left many Ugandans starving because Wakiso will have to wait until Kampala is settled.

“Registration of beneficiaries has also been riddled with the usual incompetence. RDCs and NRM vigilantes are removing names of people who have been hit hard by the lockdown from the register. As FDC, we think local committees should be entrusted with registration and distribution.” Ssemujju said.

Ssemujju added that the food should also be enough to feed the locals throughout the duration of the lockdown because the failure to feed is already causing problems to countries like India.

“Slum areas should be especially targeted because of the sheer congestion. In fact, special committees should be formed and deployed in these areas for the whole duration of the lockdown.”

ON POLICE, UPDF BRUTALITY

FDC also said that they have watched on televisions as scores of security personnel both police and the army battering citizens and raiding homes while enforcing curfew.

President Museveni announced a nationwide curfew, which started on March 31, 2020 for the next 14 days. In this, everyone is expected to be at his or her home by 7pm everyday.

Several reports of brutality have been exposed by media and according to Ssemujju, they hold President Museveni accountable for the brutality.

“The FDC holds Mr Yoweri Museveni responsible for this brutality. He has been an advocate of brutality and publicly praising officers such as Gen. Kale Kayihura for brutalizing his opponents. This is how he has trained both police and UPDF unfortunately,” Ssemujju said.

Ssemujju however appealed to the public to observe all measures put in place by the government through President Museveni and the Ministry of Health.

He also saluted the health workers at the frontline of combating the spread of the virus and advised Ugandans to share the little they can with their neighbors who might not have what to feed on.

Edited by David Tumusiime