The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kumi, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Kumi district taskforce for COVID-19 has banned stopovers of all cargo truck drivers in the district.
The municipality is a transit route for long-distance trucks including fuel tanks destined for South Sudan, Kenya and other areas.
Kumi Municipality Mayor, Richard Ochom says that more than 30 trucks park in his town every night.
Ochom notes that with the increasing cases of truck drivers testing positive to COVID-19, they don’t want to take risks.
“These drivers mix up with our girls here whenever they arrive. They enter lodges, restaurants and access many other places. This is risky for us since more drivers are testing positive to coronavirus. So, it’s better to prevent this before the situation gets out of hand”, Ochom said.
Hussein Kato Matanda, the Resident District Commissioner of Kumi who doubles as the chairperson of COVID-19 taskforce says Kumi is not a gazetted parking area for the trucks.
Matanda revealed that two truck drivers survived lynching in Atutur sub county last night when their trucks got mechanical faults.
Matanda explains that some members of the community mobilized themselves and attempted to stone the drivers whom he notes were rescued by police.
Bartholomew Aucur, a resident of Kumi Municipality says the initiative by the taskforce on trucks is a very good move to safeguard the community from the deadly virus.
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I’m sure that these trailer drivers to say they shouldn’t talk with their women on the way its very impossible for the they’re familiar with. how can a driver comes from Kenya via Uganda to South Sudan,Rwanda,congo and Burundi without talking with people on the way? what measurements have you put there to track them wherever they stop?now the problem we’re facing here is this trailer drivers from Kenya and Tanzania. OK we’re depending on each other but. the big problem is going to come from them.people and money which one is greater than the other?
This response by district leaders is so inequitable. These truckers are also human and just like all of us, are affected by the disease and pandemic. They are not willful carriers of neither the parasite, corona virus, nor the pestilence, covid_19.
As the President directed and advised in yesterday’s address, the anger vetted towards truckers is uncalled for and stab in oneself foot.
District and local leaders are to fault on this, instead of sensitizing their communities, especially those that lie or that are dotted along the highways/corridors, they are instead fanning stigma against these unfortunate truckers.
This is so inhumane and should stop, and this is not the way to fight against this pestilence. Uganda has been spared, yes by timely pro-activeness of the government spearheaded by the President, BUT moreso, by the Divine grace of God. This is no way to appreciate this mercy.
Truckers are not suicidal and shouldn’t be treated as such. And please remember, that these communities have once thrived majorly because of truckers.