Last night, President Kaguta Museveni addressed the country for the 14th time about the COVID-19 situation in the country where he updated the population on the directives earlier issued.
The President eased lockdown by allowing private and public transport to reopen with social distancing measures, final year students to resume their terms and semesters, and general merchandise shops to resume work among others but tied all this to them wearing masks.
The President said that no ordinary masks will be worn. Only masks produced by Nyanza Textile Industries Limited (NYTIL) will be allowed, and these will be distributed to all Ugandans aged six years and above free of charge in a period of two weeks.
This has not settled well with some Ugandans who are protesting a monopoly for masks, and this includes People’s Government leader Dr Kizza Besigye.
Besigye first welcomed the idea of everyone wearing a mask by saying, “Post-lockdown popular use of masks is a good safeguard. However, there is no scientifically specified type of non-medical masks.”
He went ahead to say that if Ugandan scientists recommend specifications for masks to be used, “They (the recommendations) should be published and whoever wants produces. Forcing ‘government’ masks on all is unacceptable and illegal.”