Kampala lord mayor Erias Lukwago has declined to go into self-isolation and called for the immediate re-opening of Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) offices at City Hall.
The minister for Kampala and Metropolitan Affairs Betty Amongi announced the closure of City Hall over the weekend after four staff tested positive for COVID-19. A number of KCCA staff have been tested for COVID-19 and others sent into isolation.
As a result, a number of offices at City Hall remained closed today and the KCCA Council meeting which had earlier been scheduled was also cancelled. Zamini Masunge, a councillor from Kawempe said that they could not hold the council meeting in the absence of the technical team, especially the office of the clerk which is in charge of the administrative procedures for all KCCA meetings.
The minister for Kampala and Metropolitan Affairs Betty Amongi announced the closure of City Hall over the weekend after four staff tested positive for COVID-19. A number of KCCA staff have been tested for COVID-19 and others sent into isolation.
As a result, a number of offices at City Hall remained closed today and the KCCA Council meeting which had earlier been scheduled was also cancelled. Zamini Masunge, a councillor from Kawempe said that they could not hold the council meeting in the absence of the technical team, especially the office of the clerk which is in charge of the administrative procedures for all KCCA meetings.
But Lukwago says the minister should devise means for operations to continue at City Hall while minding the health of staff.
"Some staff are going to stay, we're going to remain with a selected few who are going to help us keep moving but not all of them should go into self-isolation. Because just imagine if you're saying every staff in the institution goes into self-isolation then you remain with an empty City Hall here. What happens? It sounds ridiculous with all due respect…It is should be those specific directorates where they have identified suspects but not everybody here. And for the record some of us tested. I just got my results last week." said Lukwago.
"We're supposed to work out a plan on how we're going to observe the SOPs in the post-lockdown period in Kampala as the institution. We're going to sit down and select the essential ones - those who are indispensable at this moment. This what we're now looking at. Those that can keep us moving in these very difficult circumstances. So if there are those who are out and essential they must come back because life has to continue, business has to continue. We can't close the entire institution. That is totally unacceptable." Lukwago added.
Doreen Nyanjura, the KCCA executive committee secretary for finance, says that the council needs to urgently convene and discuss budget allocations to the district COVID-19 task force. Nyanjura says that the Shs 1 billion that was allocated to KCCA has been used up. KCCA was given Shs 2 billion Shillings to fight COVID 19 but Shs 1 billion was taken to the Office of the Minister for Kampala, she says.
Nyanjura said due to lack of money, KCCA can't pay field allowances or buy personal protection equipment (PPE) for their officers. Olive Namazzi, the executive committee secretary in charge of health says this is a critical time for the Authority to continue delivering services to the people.
She says KCCA should be out there sensitizing the public about COVID-19 and enforcing guidelines like social distancing, hand washing and wearing masks instead of closing shop.
She wonders if the government will close other public places like markets if it became unfortunate enough to register a coronavirus case there.
She wonders if the government will close other public places like markets if it became unfortunate enough to register a coronavirus case there.
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