SSEMBAJJWE KIZITO HUC/BTH/ 2022/022

COVID-19 IN THE EYES OF UGANDANS: ITS DIRECT AND INDIRECT EFFECTS TO THE
PEOPLE OF UGANDA.

As the outbreak of corona virus, also known as COVID-19, began in Wuhan, China in December
2019. The virus kept and keeps spreading globally at an alarming rate. Although COVID-19 was
slow to take root in Africa, cases are now spreading rapidly. Within Uganda, since the first case
on 21st March 2020, the number of new infections and deaths is increasing and expected to
increase more on as long as there is continued contact, both direct and indirect, between
infected persons and uninfected members of the population, and the number of uninfected
potential hosts within the population is large. Since the first case Uganda has recorded 8376
cases with 75 confirmed cases until today (30/09/2020). Uganda being a landlocked country
and basing highly on its neighbors who have seaports makes it hard for it to fully fight the virus.
Having it in mind that all Uganda’s neighbors including Kenya, Burundi, Rwanda, Democratic
Republic of Congo and South Sudan are all hit by the virus.

The rise of Covid-19 is not only a public health emergency causing loss of life and human
suffering in Uganda; it also poses a major threat to the economy of this nation. Many jobs,
particularly in travel, business, farming and many other events have been lost. The job loss
started increasing as supply chains came to a halt during the period when people were in a
forced “stay home” or lockdown. As soon as Covid-19 landed in Uganda, The president together
with the officials from the ministry of health announced stiff measures in the effort of fighting
Corona Virus. These measures included: closure of churches and worship places, closure of
markets and schools, a forced country wide lockdown and curfew, and many others. It is at that
time that Unemployment for both formal and informal workers increased more: The closure of
business has affected millions of Uganda’s who depend on them for employment. According to
the National labour force survey (2016/17), “the informal economy alone employs 84.9 percent
of the population, 90% of whom are youth (10-30 years)” 1. Closure of business implies that this
segment of the population is already out of the market. The only way to survive implies

1
Uganda Bureau of Statistics 2018, The National Labour Force Survey 2016/17: Main Report, Kampala, Uganda.
adoption of negative coping strategies, such as cutting down on consumption to the bare
minimum, theft and insecurity, and many more.

One of the negative indirect effects of the deadly virus in Uganda is the increasing number of
death caused by police and security organs hiding in “implementing Covid19 government
guidelines”. On 4th June 2020 when Uganda had not yet recorded even a single Corona Virus
death, the police had already killed six people (those who were officially announced) and many
were nursing minor or major injuries caused by security operatives in trying to implement
Covid-19 guidelines. The Independent, one Uganda’s leading News paper reported on June 4 th
“Six lives have been lost in the hands of security agencies implementing COVID-19 guidelines
over the last 75 days when the country was under a lockdown which was declared to contain
the spread of the deadly disease. The victims were shot by soldiers of the Uganda People’s
Defence Forces, Uganda Police Force and Local Defence Units who were enforcing orders
intended to curb the spread of the contagious diseases”2.

Uganda is facing an increased number of family violence, early marriages, and teenage
pregnancies during this covid-19 period. Women with abusive partners have undergone
gender-based violence.3

Even though corona virus has caused a lot of harm not only in Uganda but in the whole world,
many Ugandans are still taking Covid-19 as a joke. For they think that it is a plan by the
government of Uganda to steal votes in the coming elections. This is because of what people
see from the government officials who instead distribute a lot of money amongst themselves in
the name of fighting Covid-19 as The Observer (a Ugandan news paper) says, “MPs in Uganda
have been offered 20 million Ugandan shillings each (nearly €5000 Euros) to assist them during
the Corona Virus pandemic. The move has sparked outrage from the public who say the money

2
Emma, M. “Ugandan security teams have killed six people in COVID-19 operations” The Independent, June 4th
2020.
3
Kavuma, Kaggwa. “Domestic Violence on an Increase.” New Vision, Monday 27th April 2020.
should go to help health workers on the frontline of the Covid-19 fight” 4 The same people
make political gatherings in churches, and in other enclosed areas yet the opposition members
who try doing that are arrested. Inocent Anguyo said that, ahead of elections in 2021, the
Ugandan government has manipulated its COVID-19 public health response for political gain. It
did not take long for the government to make a discreet U-turn, to tap into the potential of
masks for political dressing. Subsequent consignments increasingly have yellow face masks with
a “thumb high” image (which is the ruling party’s symbol and none in the color of opposition
parties. Ministers also lead distribution effort. Many now question whether the National
Resistance Movement (the ruling party) is using a public health platform and state resources to
enhance its political capital, as they did with relief food. 5

Ugandans are known to be social people with a great sense of hospitality. Covid-19 has put
these virtues at stake since many people who have contracted the disease and got cured are
reporting cases of stigmatization and isolation from the public. Something which affects them
both socially and psychologically. An example of such a case could be my own village known as
Kayanja-Kalisizo where a musician and the ministry announced that he had died of Covid-19. On
hearing that the man died of Covid-19, people ran away from the village and left the family
almost alone in the village. Even up to now many do not want to go to that family in fear of
getting Corona Virus.

Despite all these challenges the church has remained strong and helpful in Uganda as church
leaders have continuously given relief food, and encouraging messages to their people. Some of
the highly populated refugee camps have used church schools as places of accommodation for
some refugees as a short term solution to decongest the camps in the fight against Covid-19.

In conclusion, COVID-19 has posed a serious challenge, in the immediate term for health and
wider socioeconomic development in Uganda including decline in human development, poor
standard of living, increased crimes like theft, and increased level of poverty. And since the

4
Onduke, Opio. “Kadaga Justifies Shs 10bn Allocated to MPs to Fight COVID-19” The Observer, April 16th 2020.
5
Johna, Kirabo. “Uproar as Government Distributes Yellow Masks” Nile post, June 25th 2020.
disease does not discriminate rich and poor, educated and non-educated, many people have
found their consolation in God believing that God is the only solution to the disease.

BIBIOGRAPHY
1. Uganda Bureau of Statistics 2018, The National Labour Force Survey 2016/17 :Main
Report, Kampala, Uganda.
2. Emma, M. “Ugandan security teams have killed six people in COVID-19 operations” The
Independent, June 4th 2020.
3. Kaggwa, Kavuma. “Domestic Violence on an Increase.” New Vision, Monday 27th April
2020.
4. Onduke, Opio. “Kadaga Justifies Shs 10bn Allocated to MPs to Fight COVID-19” The
Observer, April 16th 2020.
5. Kirabo, Johna. “Uproar as Government Distributes Yellow Masks” Nile post, June 25th
2020.