Lukwago: Museveni using COVID-19 to launch a new political order

Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago has accused President Museveni  of using the on-going COVID-19 pandemic circumstances as a launchpad to keep the National Resistance Movement (NRM) in power.

Lukwago said that the downside of the restrictions imposed by the pandemic will be its negative impact on democracy which is likely to suffer. He made these remarks while appearing on the NBS Television Morning Breeze.

“If we do not look at the signs, democracy is going to suffer irredeemably. As we speak, the constitution has been thrown on the side” Lukwago said.

“Right now everyone is saying that he is doing the right thing, you wait tomorrow, I am afraid because this is an election year and the Electoral Commission is silent. I am not saying they should re-activate the process because we have to first fight Coronavirus but I am afraid that in the post COVID-19 period, a new social-political order will emerge that is draconian in nature.”

Lukwago said that if the country is to go ahead with the elections, they might be conducted  according to very strict measures or in the worst-case scenario, the President might use the COVID-19 emergency to suspend the elections for two or three more years.

Lukwago said that the extreme measures being taken need to be backed up by the law. He gave an example of the ongoing curfew saying that how can one be arrested because of curfew when there is no law backing it up?

“I am in support of the curfew but there must be a law. About the President’s proclamations, we all have limits.”

Lukwago also expressed concerns about how food is being distributed saying that the mechanisms in place are not sufficient.

“On the distribution of food, they decided to distribute to Kampala and Wakiso, why? What mechanisms are they using to distribute the food? According to the official figures I have from the national task force, those who have received are less than 15%,” Lukwago added.

Lukwago said that contributing to the task force has also become ‘a fashion and showbiz.’

“I am about to be asked why I have not yet contributed. I am not looking at the process; I want to see the outcome. I have not seen a single item being distributed,” he said.