As expected after vacillating the President of the Republic of Uganda has announced a new lockdown for 42 days. From the onset there exists serious questions on the justification and scientific methods used to obtain the 42 days. COVID being a virus necessitates proven scientific methods to handle it if it is to be managed and contained. Any reasonable person would have expected the lockdown to be guided by lessons from locations and areas that have ably managed the viral pandemic.
The CORONA Virus is believed to have emanated from Wuhan city of China, in 2019. Since then it has spread rapidly worldwide and designated by the World Health Organization as a global pandemic. Its is highly contagious with its transmission channels being through direct, and indirect contact with infected persons body fluids such as secretions and respiratory droplets including saliva.
One would have expected that with its huge population, the originators of the disease would have been the biggest and hardest hit victims of the disease. This does not appear to meet the facts; in fact the Wuhan city has a flat cover with no new Corona cases while a country like Uganda has had its new cases continually hit new highs; Kampala hit 5591 over the last 14 days, Wakiso 719 cases and Gulu 250 cases! (Ministry of Health Statistics 2021)
Explanation for these frightful numbers are not hard to conjecture; according to Kampalans, and Ugandans generally, they have hardened hearts- “Emitima jyakaluba!” They are thus ready and willing to face any consequences of their rashness. They look at the devil in the eyes and dare it to do their worst. To say this is suicidal behavior is to fail to understand the under pinning of their motivation.
The lock-down and its previous attendant pillars of curfew and high-handed activity by the over-zealous Local Government Security forces has occasioned more deaths than the COVID pandemic. Diseases that could have been managed like malaria, tuberculosis, hepatitis B pose a more real and present danger than the ogre COVID has been painted to be. COVID has a fatality rate of between 2-3%. Indeed even hunger and malnutrition are more threatening to Ugandans than the COVID.
The threat of loosing their livelihoods and family heirlooms to banks and micro-finance institutions means that Ugandans will be left with Hobson’s choice on compliance to the president’s directives. In the circumstances that COVID epidemic is being manipulated for a quick buck by connected fat cats the people will speak their defiance to the powers that be.
The lockdown needed to be timed to fit with the incubation period of the virus as known by scientists. Movement contained to prevent any movement and case management conducted in restricted geographical areas. Areas of high incidence mapped on GIS systems and quarantines made targeted rather than blanket. And ought to be conducted in an ecosystem which caters for the economic well being of Ugandans.
The lessons from China ought not to be forgotten. “China had observed the maximum number of cases and COVID-19 related deaths in January and February-2020 but the rapid declining trend was noticed from the beginning of March-2020. Owing to their immediate and substantial countermeasures the outbreak control was achieved quickly” (Worldometer. COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic live updates (2020). Controlling the virus needs to be done in a coherent scientific manner.
Unfortunately, when the cards are down the government will ride roughshod over common sense and impose its logic- however faulty, in complete disregard of science on the people of Uganda. And we petty men peep beneath their feet to find ourselves dishonorable graves.
Watmon's Blog 