Total lockdown starts: Here’s how to avoid getting in trouble with Museveni’s enforcement teams

President Yoweri Kaguta Tibuhaburwa Museveni announced total lockdown measures June 18 night, with orders to enforcement teams at all levels to ensure total compliance.

First, a summary of the new total lockdown measures occassioned by a surge in Covid19 cases and deaths:

1. Public and private and public vehicles (bodabodas, taxis, buses) suspended for 42 days. Will only move to transport patients with permission from LCI, RDC or Health Work.

2. Boda boda can carry merchandise/ cargo.

3. Curfew from 19:00 hours (7pm) – 05:30hours (5:30am)

4. Bodaboda allowed to move up to 5:00pm but only to carry cargo and patients

5. Ministry of Local Govt and Ministry of Finace to support regional, and District Task Forces.

6. Entebbe International Airport to remain open.

7. Cargo vehicles allowed to move – will only be tested. They should not park in trading centres but in seclusion centres

8. Food market venders to camp in their places of work/markets (resident vendors). MoH to give them free bed nets.

9. Kikubo and other business centres such as malls and arcades to be closed.

10. Burials restricted to only core family members of the deceased (as applied in the military)

11. Bars, discos, cinema halls to close. Licences of those that don’t comply to be cancelled.

12. All sectors (other than those mentioned) to be suspended for 42 days.

13. Staff in non- core ministries, departments and agencies to reduce to 10%.

14. Factories to remain open, where possible, workers housed at place of work for 42 days.

15. Places of worship and sports events remain suspended for 42 days.

16. All education institutions to remain closed for 42 days.

17. Retail shops should remain open.

In the 2020 total lockdown, LDUs meted brutality on those who flouted prevention guidelines.

Detention centers filled up, with most suspects charged with engaging in activities likely to spread Covid19.

But Museveni has in recent weeks emphasized a new way of punishing those who flout Covid19 prevention guidelines: fines.

Instead of filling up prisons and putting the burden of feeding inmates on tax payers, the president wants Ugandans fined.

An instrument authorizing enforcement and compliance teams to fine those who fail to comply with the new measures is yet to be issued.

With transport restricted to cargo and patients, Museveni even warned those who would pretend to be sick just to use bodabodas or cars they would face it rough.

He further directed enforcement teams to close bars and other places disregarding Covid19 shutdown orders, and have their licenses withdrawn so that they will never operate again.

While the president praised majority of Ugandans for obeying prevention rules in recent weeks, but emphasized the need to take prevention more seriously in the next 42 days.

The idea is not just to avoid getting in trouble with Museveni’s enforcement teams but to prevent Covid19 spread as the healthcare system gets overwhelmed by a surge in Covid19 cases.