The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The ongoing lockdown has affected the distribution of newspapers in Karamoja, a region located about 350 kilometres from the capital Kampala. The newspaper scarcity started after the ban on public transport one of the measures announced by the government to control COVID-19.
The region has been receiving the dailies through public buses travelling from Kampala. But now the supply has been cut off totally in Kotido, Karenga, Kaabong and other districts while Moroto received the first delivery of the week on Friday morning.
According to David Kodoi, a newspaper vendor in Moroto town, the readers only managed to get copies for this week when a good Samaritan from Soroti volunteered to deliver them to Moroto on Thursday.
He told our reporter that there is no guarantee that the newspapers can be delivered to them next week since private vehicles were also stopped from moving. Sadly, he says even the sales have drastically fallen.
A paper vendor who asked not to be named said he abandoned his business since most offices have shut down and only hopes to resume once the country returns to normal business.
“I had no option but to return home doing nothing the whole day because the papers do not reach us. Now there is a lockdown and curfew,” he added. Bernard Oyoyo a social worker in Kotido says the community can only access information through radio.
The New Vision Circulation Manager, Gershom Agaba says there are no courier services to Karamoja and he advises the readers to utilize the e-paper, which is accessible through subscription. Steven Ariong, the Karamoja Daily Monitor Correspondent said the newspaper circulation may resume after the lockdown is lifted.
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