JUST IN: Museveni Set to Announce Tougher Directives in His Tuesday Address as Ebola Spreads to More Districts, Cases Rise

Ugandan President Gen Yoweri Kaguta Tibuhaburwa Museveni will make his fourth Ebola address in which he is expected to announce new tougher directives to help prevent the spread of the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) as the haemorrhagic disease continues to spread to more districts across the country.

The country’s Health Ministry confirmed the outbreak of the Ebola in Uganda on in September 2022 a man tested positive for the viral disease in Mubende. There had reportedly been a number of Ebola deaths before the official declaration but  locals claimed that these deaths were caused by witchcraft.

From Mubende District, Ebola has spread to more districts of Uganda. About 10 districts have now confirmed cases. On Sunday, Health Minister Dr Jane Ruth Aceng revealed that cases of Ebola had been confirmed in Jinja District where two people have already succumbed to the disease. (See Details Here).

 

Currently, Uganda has registered 135 Ebola infections and 62 recoveries. The country has so far lost 54 people to the Ebola disease, and these include health workers, a hospital boss, an ambulance driver and eight children.

Now, hours after Ebola was confirmed in Jinja, Uganda’s State House has announced that confirmed that President Museveni will make his fourth Ebola status address. In a statement released by the Presidential Press Unit (PPU) under the State House Department of Press and Public Relations on Monday, November 14, 2022,

“The Presidential Press Unit – PPU wishes to inform the general public that H.E. the President of the Republic of Uganda and Commander-in-Chief of the Uganda People’s Defence Forces, Gen (Rtd) Yoweri Kaguta Museveni will this Tuesday, November 15, 2022, at 8:00 PM address the nation to give updates on the current status of Ebola outbreak in the country. The address will be live on all Radio and TV stations,” read a statement from PPU.

In his previous third address, Museveni placed the districts of Mubende and Kassanda under an Ebola outbreak and issued 24 directives. (See Details and Museveni’s full third Ebola Address, word by word, Here and There).

Meanwhile, Museveni’s wife and education minister Janet Museveni has declared the official date for the early closure of all Ugandan schools so as to prevent the spread of Ebola. However, oposition leader Dr Kizza Besigye has rejected Janet Museveni’s decision to close schools early and called on parents to reject the move. (See Details Here and There).

It remains to be seen what new tougher measures Museveni will announce on Tuesday. But the president recently announced his position on the possibility of declaring a national lockdown over Ebola. (See Details Here).