Open up country before 42 days elapse - Kabuleta

As the count down to the end of the second lockdown nears, former presidential candidate, Joseph Kabuleta, has urged President Museveni to open up the country and not even wait for all the 42 days to elapse next week.
Mr Kabuleta reasoned that the current second lockdown that was intended to curb on the rising number of Covid-19 infections and deaths of the second wave, has instead been a death sentence to many citizens.
He explained that many people are dying of the effects of the Covid-19 lockdown than the virus itself.
"We are going to continue to pass a death sentence to many Ugandans who are non-essential workers and poor just because there is something called Covid-19 which kills important people. The effects of these 42 days' lockdown, might take 10 years to recover," Mr Kabuleta lamented while appearing on a sister station, NTV Uganda on Tuesday.
He added: "I don't think the President should wait for the 42 days to end, he should open up now. Many countries are opening up including the UK that opened up on Monday this week. They have realised that they have to live with Covid-19 just like any other pandemic."
Explaining the effects of the ongoing lockdown, the former presidential candidate claimed many people have been shot dead, an average of 10 per day, while others have succumbed to hunger citing the latest victim, Thomas Katongole, a resident of Mityana District who collapsed and died while on his way to a food distribution point by the area MP, Francis Zaake. He also added that pregnant mothers dying due to lack of transport to access medical care.
On June 18, President Museveni in a televised address to the nation, announced a second lockdown that he said would be in place for the next 42 days.
The new lockdown measures included; shut down of all education institutions, places of worship like churches and mosques, ban of public and private transport and weekly markets among others.
Mr Museveni only permitted essential workers to continue working but also at 10 percent capacity.
His decision to announce the second lockdown was informed after a spike in Covid-19 cases and deaths mainly among the young population, a scenario he said posed a big risk of overwhelming the health system.
Mr Kabuleta further advised that we should instead learn how to live with Covid-19 just like other previous pandemics such as cholera and HIV/AIDS.
"We have to tell people to learn how to take responsibility of their lives. I saw many people die of cholera but government taught them how to keep good hygiene and not to eat cold things and the infections reduced," Mr Kabuleta said.
With barely a week to the end of the 42 days lockdown and also with tremendous reduction in infection rates from about 1000 daily at the time of the lockdown to now averaging 200 cases, the country eagerly awaits the President's new pronouncement next week.
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