Government dragged to court over Covid-19 relief food

A group of four people has dragged the Ugandan government to court challenging the measures put in place to distribute relief food to people affected by the Coronavirus lock down.

In the suit before the civil division of the High Court in Kampala, Andrew Mukasa aka Bajjo, Abbey Musinguzi aka Abitex, Aloysius Matovu and John Mbaziira say the practice by government to distribute relief food to selected individuals and leaving out others is an infringement and threat to people's right to equality and freedom from discrimination contrary to Article 21(2) and 43 of 1995 constitution.

“I have watched on several televisions news of people begging and pleading for food . I recently saw a woman who undressed in Kawempe to draw attention so as to get food for her four children. I have also watched several people taking themselves to police stations and district offices to be arrested and kept in police cells so that they may get what to eat,” an affidavit by Abtex says.

The group says that failure by government to provide and publish a well outlined program on provision and distribution of food is a threat to right to food and life and therefore want court to order government distribute adequate and timely food to all Ugandans.

"An order directing the government to immediately distribute food that has been collected from well-wishers to members of the public without necessarily collecting and storing it at National/ District task force stores."

The group also wants court to order government to let all individuals or groups of people who are capable to distributing relief food to the vulnerable to do it freely without being arrested.

"In the alternative an order directing government of Uganda to lift the lockdown until it is able to provide adequate and timely food to all Ugandans without discrimination."

Last month, Mityana Municipality Member of Parliament, Francis Zaake was arrested and detained for more than a week after being found distributing relief food to his constituents contrary to the presidential directive on the same.

President Museveni had earlier warned against the distribution of relief food by individuals, other than government saying it would lead to the spread of the deadly coronavirus.