Minister directs RDC to beat up violators of Covid-19 guidelines

Butebo, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Dr. Monica Musenero, the co-chair of the national Covid-19 enforcement team has directed Butebo Resident District Commissioner to beat residents defying the Covid-19 preventive guidelines issued by the president and Ministry of Health.

“Bwana RDC just beat them if they are not listening, I am speaking this as a co-chair of the national enforcement team nationally, do not allow them to cause us distress. Yesterday when I was coming, I found Petete trading center full of people including children as if there is no lockdown,“ she said.

Dr. Musenero, who is also the Minister in charge of Science, Technology, and Innovation in the Office of the President issued the directive at Kabelekeke village, Petete sub county, in Butebo district during the scientific burial of her 81 year old mother, Eunice Logose Shaine over the weekend.

The burial that was conducted in full adherence to the standard operating procedures-SOPs and presidential directives was relayed live on two local radio stations for public consumption.

Musenero was prompted to order the flogging of the residents after the Resident District Commissioner, Emmy Mitala complained about the continued abuse of the presidential directives by the residents, which has escalated further spread of the virus in the area whose health system is ill equipped to handle.

“Honorable minister in our quest to contain further spread of the disease, there is a number of stakeholders we have not yet met including witchdoctors in our attempt to create synergies to counter the disease but our people have refused to go away from trading centers, they are not following SOPs now we are stuck,” the RDC reported.

Mitala who said the 510 doses of COVID-19 vaccines the district received last week were too little, noted that the disease is currently fast spreading in all sub-counties across the district. According to Mitala, the district is a transit route to several districts like Bukedea, Kumi, Pallisa, Kibuku and Budaka.

Musenero told the RDC the country is overwhelmed with the spread of the disease and people have to adhere to the SOPs, adding that even if it means beating them to compel them to adhere to the SOPs.

The Bishop of Bukedi Diocese, Samuel George Bogere Egesa who led the requiem mass called upon the government to recognize religious leaders as essential workers whose movements should not be restricted.

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