Africa-Press – Uganda. With only eight days left to end the lockdown, many people are flocking Kampala City centre despite businesses remaining closed.On June 18, President Museveni ordered a second nationwide lockdown following a surge in Covid-19 cases in the country.
The President also banned people from going to the city centre and businesses in the area were told to stop operating for the 42-days of lockdown.However, a trip to the city centre by Daily Monitor yesterday revealed that people were still flocking the city despite the presidential directive. In downtown Kampala, traders stood outside closed arcades conversing with security guards while others played cards on the verandahs.
Over 30 people have been arrested at Nasser road and Nkurumah road in Kampala after they were found working at printeries by security operatives deployed to enforce the virus-induced lockdown announced by @KagutaMuseveni in June.#MonitorUpdates? @abubakerlubowa pic.twitter.com/bhZvLrS0CP
A few stood by aimlessly and took off to hide every time they saw the police.Mr John Mukasa, a wholesale trader based in Kikuubo, told Daily Monitor that he visited town for the first time yesterday since the 42-day lockdown was instituted because he was tired of being at home. “It is difficult staying at home doing nothing. So, yesterday, I went to observe what was taking place in town and was surprised to find there were a noticeable number of people roaming around,” Mr Mukasa said.
Like many of his colleagues operating businesses, Mr Mukasa says he cannot wait for the lockdown to end so that he can start working again. Still in Downtown Kampala, hawkers especially women were seen with different groceries and food items for sale. However, there were hardly customers to purchase their items. “We hardly get clients because many people are afraid of coming here. Customers believe they will be beaten by security personnel, and so, most stay away,” Ms Anita Akello, a hawker, said.
Daily Monitor also took note of a section of people who just walked around town aimlessly, doing nothing. It is like they were touring the city centre for fun. For instance, a boy kept taking pictures of the city surroundings using his phone. What was the security like yesterday?Surprisingly, deployment of security personnel was not as heavy as the first days of the lockdown. The few police officers who were seen, mostly moved around arcades to keep security.
VIDEO: @PoliceUg have dispersed people downtown Kampala as part of their operation to enforce the 42-day virus-induced lockdown#MonitorUpdates ? @abubakerlubowa pic.twitter.com/cFjMxTEowd
Rather than chase people from the city centre, they instead enforced the different standard operating procedures (SOPs). “Wear your mask properly,” one policeman was heard shouting to a man. With the ban on public transport still in effect, many people started walking to their respective homes in the afternoon so as to beat the 7pm curfew.
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It is difficult staying at home doing nothing. So, yesterday, I went to observe what was taking place in town and was surprised to find there were a noticeable number of people roaming around,” Mr John Mukasa, a wholesale trader based in Kikuubo
