Besigye in self isolation

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Former Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) presidential flag bearer Rtd Col. Dr. Kizza Besigye has revealed that he is in self isolation.

In a tweet, in which he bid farewell to Al Hajj Nasser Ssebagala who died last month, he apologized for not attending the former Kampala mayor’s burial on Sunday.  He did not give details, but self isolation could mean he has been exposed to someone who has recently tested positive for COVID-19 or any other infectious disease.

“Fare thee well Al Hajj Nasser Ssebagala (Seya). Unfortunately, I’m in self-isolation and couldn’t personally participate in his send off. My thoughts and prayers continue to be with his family. Inna lillahi wa Inna illahi raj’un,” Besigye said in a tweet on Sunday.

Besigye has during the lock-down and after, advocated for Ugandans to boost their immunity as the best defense against  COVID-19. He has online shared several foods Ugandans should consume to boost their immunity.

He has argued that nearly everyone will be attacked by the virus, and it is best Ugandan prepare as pressure to manage the numbers will overwhelm government.

Government is now encouraging Ugandans to quarantine at home is exposed or when they test positive but do not have symptoms.

On Sunday, it was also revealed that quarantine centres are set to close by October 14. The Ugandans who have just returned from abroad, will be the last at the centres.

The Ministry’s Senior Public Relations Officer Emmanuel Ainebyoona said everyone that is coming into the country will now be required to present COVID-19 negative test certificate at the airport and then proceed to their destination.

Ainebyoona who was responding to complaints raised in a video shared on twitter by a group of women who claim to be stuck at  Douglas Villa hostel, one of the quarantine centers said those that had already arrived earlier than Thursday have to complete their mandatory duration and then the facility will be closed.

Although he couldn’t reveal the total number of people currently under institutional quarantine in different facilities, he said the women seen in the footage complaining arrived from Dubai.

In the video, the women claim to have paid 850,000 Shillings for quarantine with the promise that they will be secluded and monitored for COVID-19 symptoms until the elapse of their quarantine. However, instead, they say they were sharing rooms and not given anything to sanitize in addition to sharing washrooms which are often very dirty.

Dr Richard Mugahi, who is the Ministry’s officer in charge of Quarantine Centers couldn’t pick his calls or respond to his texts to verify these claims and give details of how many people remain under quarantine.

However, this is not the first time that Douglas Villa is put on the spot over filth and release of people before elapse of quarantine duration.

Early last month, URN spoke to a group of other women who had arrived from Jordan that had been released from the facility before the end of duration yet they had paid the full amount for quarantine and flight fees all consolidated at $727 which was a condition for everyone to be scheduled to be repatriated back.

The women said they had been asked to go home to give space to new returnees that had just arrived and crowded the facility.