The administrators of Kampala City have swung into action to implement President Museveni’s directive which imposed a temporally ban on public transport as a measure to fight the spread of coronavirus.
In a statement issued today by the minister in charge of Kampala Hon. Betty Amongi, joint-operations by police, the army and KCCA law-enforcement personnel, have been set into action to arrest offenders, and ensure no one violates the president’s directives.
By 1 Pm today, the minister said RCCs for all divisions, their deputies and the army will be conducting a swoop across the city to monitor implementation of president Museveni’s orders against hiking of commodity prices, and arresting boda-boda cyclists found carrying passengers.
Amongi said traders found hiking prices on commodities will face the law, and their licences recalled as the president directed.
She said vendors selling non-food items must vacate markets immediately, and administrators of markets must ensure restructuring in marketplaces to maintain social distancing of 4m between every vendor.
The minister also clarified that President Museveni’s directive on markets does not affect shopping malls, and supermarkets, but shop owners must take the MOH guidelines on coronavirus prevention seriously.
In this respect, Shops and Supermarket owners have been cautioned to maintain few clients inside their stores and in queues, in order to control the spread of coronavirus. A distance of 4-metre radius must be maintained inside shops according to the minister.
Shoppers have also been advised to desist from touching items inside shops with bare hands, but to use protective gear including hand gloves to avoid contaminated items. Shoppers who cannot afford hand gloves should use tissue paper to roll trolleys in supermarkets to avoid direct contact with the contaminated metal.
Shoppers have also been encouraged to use mobile money/online transactions and avoid paper money which has been confirmed to transmit coronavirus. The minister appealed to the public to report supermarket owners who flaunt the set guidelines.
Kampala City ED Andrew Kittaka said a call center has been set up, and response surveillance teams including doctors and technocrats dispatched, to respond to alerts and carry out patient assessments. He said the KCCA ambulance system has been boosted to respond to cases from communities across the 5 divisions.
Kittaka said KCCA has installed thermo-scanners on all public buildings in the city to screen potential victims of coronavirus in the city, and hand-washing and hygiene facilities installed in many public places like parks, markets, public buildings.
He said KCCA has also deployed film vans to sensitize communities on do’s and don’ts in the fight against coronavirus.
Kittaka however assured Ugandans that the city will remain functional, with services like road construction and sanitation services flowing though some services like library services, and external meetings have been suspended.
President Museveni last evening directed that public transport operations including taxis, buses, boda-bodas, passenger train services should be suspended for 14 days, and markets should only sell foodstuffs.
The public has been urged to report offenders of the presidential directive and emergency cases using a Toll free number; 0800990000.