Mpuuga scoffs at government over ban on relief food distribution

The Leader of Opposition in Parliament (LoP), Mr Mathias Mpuuga, has condemned the move by government to ban distribution of food to vulnerable people during the lockdown.
Mpuuga said it is unbecoming that government through security agencies is barring ‘good Samaritans’ from giving food to starving Ugandans who are affected as a result of poor planning of the same government that has failed to cater for the vulnerable individuals.
 Mpuuga made the remarks during Eid celebrations on Tuesday as he gave out food items to Muslims in Masaka City.
 “The Prime Minister has no right to stop people from helping starving Ugandans whose work was affected by lockdown yet she even failed to disburse the Shs 100,000  to the needy people,” he said.
Masaka City Woman MP, Ms Juliet Kakande Nakabuye, also wondered why the government should stop people from saving others during the lockdown, noting that many are starving in their homes.
“For us who reach out to our people we can tell the level of suffrage. People sleep on empty stomachs, rent arrears and other social amenities bills are piling every day,” she said.      
On Monday Police spokesperson, Mr Fred Enanga, said the distribution is likely to lead to the spread of the coronavirus advising all people distributing food to stop and take the food to the district Covid-19 task force coordinators for proper distribution.
Mr Enanga noted they are worried that the food distributed could be contaminated with aflatoxins, explaining citing that if the food is taken to the task forces, experts would be able to test it for quality before it is distributed.
The ban came days after opposition politicians were seen distributing food to vulnerable groups in different parts of the country.
Relatedly, in a statement released on Tuesday, NUP President Robert Kyagulanyi alias Bobi Wine castigated the security forces for the decision.
“It is well known that the regime promised Shs 100,000 to desperate citizens, as small as it was, it has not reached even 1% of the deserving citizens. This is an indication that the people of Ugandan are completely on their own. There is every reason to fight on until the citizens free themselves from humiliation,” he said.
Last year, Mityana Municipality MP, Mr Francis Zaake, was arrested on allegations of defying a ban on the distribution of relief food by individuals. President Yoweri Museveni had earlier then advised that all relief supplies should be channelled through the National Covid-19 task force, to avoid exposing people to circumstances that can lead to the spread of the virus.