The camps contesting for 2021 presidential elections say they face a challenge when mobilizing the 200 people that the Electoral Commission and Ministry of Health allow because most of them have never had a face mask, sanitized or known about guidelines to prevent COVID-19
2021 Presidential
candidates are facing challenges with making supporters comply with COVID 19 campaign
guidelines.
The different camps accuse
government of not providing face masks to citizens as promised ahead of the
2020 / 2021 election campaigns.
They say face a challenge when mobilising the
200 people that the Electoral Commission and Ministry of Health allow because
most of them have never had a face mask, sanitized or known about guidelines to
prevent COVID 19 during the campaign period.
Alex Luganda, a
deputy Chief of staff in presidential candidate Henry Tumukunde’s camp says the
campaigns have exposed that government did not educate and give people masks as
was portrayed by various government organs including the Electoral Commission
(EC).
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Lewis Rubongoya,
General Secretary National Unity Platform (NUP) party says the general
situation in the country is that people don’t observe Stand Operating
Guidelines (SOP’s), have no masks and COVID-19 is just used to deter opposition candidates
from having fruitful 2020 / 2021 presidential campaigns.
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Bob Barigye, a
member of Forum for Democratic (FDC) candidate Patrick Oboi Amuriat’s camp says
they have given out masks but don’t have
enough and besides it is the responsibility of government.
He says that in
some districts they have more than 200 candidates and cannot only talk amongst
their candidates with masks and live out the supporters whom government failed
to give masks or sensitize about SOP’s during the 2020 / 2021 election
campaigns.
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The candidates say
that the National Resistance Movement supporters in Northern Uganda, West Nile
and in Tororo made processions unabated, albeit without face masks.
Other candidates
who raised similar complaints are independents John Katumba, Willy Mayambala,
Nancy Linda Kalembe, Joseph Kabuleta and Fred Mwesigye.
But Dr. Andrew
Bakainaga, a Public Health Consultant with Ministry of Health and the World Health
Organisation says Uganda is at a critical stage of community spread where one
cannot easily track the source of COVID-19 upon catching the virus, but can
spread it also unknowingly. He advises that all 11 presidential candidates
should rally their campaign teams to follow the COVID-19 guidelines during
campaigns.
Justice Simon
Mugenyi Byabakama, EC Chairman says that if 2021 presidential candidates comply
with the stipulated election guidelines, there will be no clashes with police
and other law enforcers during their campaign trails.
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The Constitution requires Parliament to ensure that
adequate resources and facilities are provided to the Electoral Commission to enable it
effectively discharge its mandate (Art. 66).
