Prime
Covid-19: Leaders must pay more attention on plight of the masses
Mr Matia Kajura, the UPC Bunyoro regional chairperson
What you need to know:
- ‘‘Value local initiatives and engage them on Covid-19 prevention.”
According to the (2020) Workshop Report on Biodiversity and Pandemics of the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), pandemics such as Covid-19 have caused widespread human suffering, and will likely cause more than a trillion dollars in economic damages annually.
Unfortunately, the Covid-19 preparedness and prevention strategies employed world over and in Uganda has been responding to a pandemic after it emerged.
Yes, this is understandable since Covid-19 was a new order that needed urgent attention and redress.
Countries have gone into lockdown and subsequent restrictions so as to first study, equip and offer solutions, both short-term and long-term, such as vaccination.
The restrictions imposed have impacted on sectors like health, education, among others, in many different ways. Equally, people living in rural, peri-urban and urban areas have been affected. Particularly, Covid-19 has presented an existential threat to the health and welfare of people across our country.
Restrictions on movement of people both within and outside their districts caused loss of livelihoods. For instance, in one of the divisions of Hoima City, a prominent spare parts dealer is in hiding due to accumulated loans that he cannot service.
Moneylenders are after him yet he wasn’t selling spare parts due to restrictions on movement of vehicles. This is just one of many examples.
Many are going through hardships, including going without food, and one should not be alarmed if the levels of malnutrition among children go up.
If leaders need to remain relevant to their people, this is what they ought to do. First, encourage the people to observe the standard operating procedures (SOPs) such as washing hands with soap, sanitising, putting on a mask, social distancing and avoiding crowded places.
Second, there is need to revitalise social cohesion mechanisms where the Local Council 1 system is given the mandate to manage socio-economic issues in a district.
This will reduce the disconnect in the functionality of the local government system, but also support government in times of identifying struggling businesses, including SMEs, that need support.
Third is valuing local initiatives and engaging them on Covid-19 prevention. Leaders at all levels need to support local/native innovations.
It is from these that we have seen the emergence of Covid-19 support drugs such as Covidex by Prof Patrick Ogwang and Covilyce 1 by Dr Alice Lamwaka, among others.
The support can be in form of giving platforms to these and more innovators to share their products, but also through financial support from the central government, development partners and fundraises. Initiatives such as these if supported can boost the economy through export.
Fourth, leaders at the local level should be in position to know the income of their people as it enhances proper planning and better service delivery.
Fifth, leaders at all levels should commit to signing social contracts with the masses where the fight against corruption tendencies takes a centre stage.
And finally, government needs to devise ways to see that the Covid-19 vaccine is available to all in the designated vaccination centres.
The author, Mr Matia Kajura is the UPC Bunyoro regional chairperson
