Why Museveni directed political aspirants for mandatory Covid-19 test

Coronavirus outbreak

President Museveni has directed that all political aspirants should undergo a mandatory Coronavirus test.

According to a tweet, by the  National Resistance Movement (NRM), Museveni who also doubles as their party chairman asked that all candidates are tested before they interact with voters so as to avoid the spread of the deadly virus.

“The president gave directives to the Health Minister to write to every political party so that they can be invited for mandatory testing for Coronavirus. We are waiting for the minister to write to all political parties over the same,” NRM Secretary General, Justine Kasule Lumumba said while appearing on a talk show on Salt TV on Saturday.

Kasule Lumumba said the directive followed recent developments that saw two staff at the ruling NRM secretariat test positive of the virus, prompting several others to be quarantined.

“Every registered party and all the people that have come out to contest under that party will have to be tested before they interact with voters. The Ministry of Health is working hand in hand with the Electoral Commission to ensure those in elective politics and are interacting with the population are educated on what to do but also testing after every two weeks,” she said.

The development comes at a time when there is a growing concern over the increasing number of community infections especially in the greater Kampala Metropolitan area but also the increasing number of deaths.

On Saturday, Kampala recorded a  third Coronavirus death when a 61-year-old female resident of Kiyimbi, Nakulabye passed on at Mulago hospital.

"She had symptoms consistent to COVID-19 which include cough, fever, chest pain and difficulty in breathing," the Ministry of Health said in a statement on Saturday.

Uganda’s Coronavirus cases are now at 1,176 whereas 1,045 of these have fully recovered from the virus and discharged from various hospitals around the country.

 

https://nilepost.co.ug/2020/07/30/17-staff-at-nrm-secretariat-quarantined-over-coronavirus/

 

Reader's Comments

RELATED ARTICLES

LATEST STORIES