Parliament tasks Health Ministry on Uganda-France week

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | A section of Members of Parliament want the planned Uganda-France friendship week 2020 cancelled amid the spread of coronavirus.

The annual event entering its fifth year is scheduled to run from 22nd to 28th March attracting football stars from abroad and other dignitaries.

Among the activities anticipated include the Francophone (culture) celebration to be held at French School Les Grands Lacs in Lugogo, All-Stars football game featuring Yaya Touré and Samuel Eto among others against the Uganda Cranes Legends, music, dance and art gala and others. The event is meant to celebrate the friendship between the two countries.

However, in yesterday plenary sitting chaired by Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga, Ngora County MP David Abala raised concern over the event.

Abala expressed worry that majority of the African football stars scheduled to play with Ugandan legends are based in Europe where several cases of coronavirus have been reported.

Kadaga noted that the country would be happy to have the football stars visit also noting that she believes these will be screened. She however, directed the Ministry of Health to make a response on the floor of parliament.

In her response, the State Minister for Health-General Duties Robinah Nabbanja said that her ministry was putting in place several measures and that nobody will enter Uganda without being screened at the entry points.

Dennis Hamson Obua, the Minister of State for Education in charge of Sports said that the Uganda-France friendship week 2020 has several scheduled activities including a football match and rugby game which have been brought to the attention of his Ministry.

He however, noted that France is among the countries ranked in Category one of those hit by the coronavirus pandemic and that the French Ambassador to Uganda Jules-Armand Aniambossou is in contact with the Minister of Health Dr Ruth Aceng regarding the scheduled event.

Obua said that if there is any decision to postpone or cancel any of the activities earmarked in the week-long program, they will rely on the advice of the Ministry of Health.

Kadaga warned MPs on the presumption that all people in France are sick. Nabbanja said that her Ministry will issue guidance on the matter since lives of Ugandans cannot be put at risk.

Isingiro South MP Alex Byarugaba insisted that Uganda should not be tolerating big gatherings since it is one of the issues the Health Ministry warned against. He also reported that countries like the United States had stopped travels of people from Europe due to the high spread of the disease.

Kadaga said that the Ministry of Health should review the scheduled activities and appropriately inform parliament next week on their decision.

The World Health Organisation- WHO on Wednesday declared COVID 19 a Pandemic. This followed an expression from the UN health agency over the rate at which COVID 19 has spread globally. According to WHO data, on average 2,000 new infections are reported globally daily.

Out of the reported 119,313 cases recorded worldwide with 4,325 deaths, France has recorded 1,784 cases and 33 deaths.

Recently, the government put travel restrictions on seven countries including Italy, Iran, South Korea, France, China, Germany and Spain bringing the affected number of countries to 16.

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URN