Covid19 lockdown: Famous pork joints operate behind closed doors

Kampala, Uganda |  THE INDEPENDENT |  As a part of the Covid19 preventive measures, President, Yoweri Museveni banned social gatherings. The ban affected places like bars, night clubs and music concerts among others, which would gather many people and there increase the risk of corona virus infection.

Although the ban is still on, some popular pork joints with pubs in Kampala are operating secretly. Our reporters visited Nicodemus Pork joint in Nakulabye and found its operating normally. One of the waiters informed them they could offer them pork on top of their favorite drinks and beckoned them to enter quickly before they could be spotted by security.

The waiter offered the reporters pork and beer at 5,000 and 3,500 Shillings respectively. On entering the pork joint, it was business as usual with a fully operational bar and several clients eating pork and drinking beer. Our reporter spent about an hour at Nicodemus Pork joint and left without any problem.

The situation wasn’t any different Wandegeya, which has various pork joints. The operators employ different tactics to avoid being nabbed by law enforcement. At one of the pork joint, the waitress approached our reporter and invited him to their joint.

The waitress said they could also offer the reporter, saying their bar was operating at the back of the pork butchery. She said they would serve him any drink of his choice including soda or beer. At Generous pork joint in Bukoto the bar section was closed by the time our reporters visited it last week.

“Dear our esteemed customers, in line with the directive issued by the Government of Uganda towards fighting Covid19. Our bar section remains closed with immediate effect,” read a notice at the entrance. Adding that “However, our restaurant remains open and fully adhering to the standards and procedures set by Ministry of Health.”

However, our reporter later learnt that the bar was sealed off by Kampala City Council Authority-KCCA for failure to refrain from selling alcohol and maintain the recommending physical distancing. An employee told URN that KCCA closed the bar when they found a huge number of people on tables drinking beers in disregard of the physical distancing guidelines.

There were only two clients eating pork accompanied with mineral water when our reporters checked it out. Lovinsa Namusoke, an employee at the pork joint, said they are currently making Bodaboda deliveries to their clients in the comfort of their homes.      

The Kampala Metropolitan Spokesperson, Patrick Onyango, said the pork joint are required to observe social distancing and refrain from selling alcohol during the lockdown.

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URN