RDC bans boda boda operations along Kayunga district boundaries

Kayunga, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Kayunga Resident District Commissioner-RDC Elijah Madoi has banned boda boda stages located along the major entry points of the district borders as part of the restrictions on inter-district movements.

RDC Madoi notes that the move is intended to prevent movement of people from other districts using commuter means as directed by the president in his efforts to stop the rampant spread of the coronavirus.

In the recent presidential address against the Covid-19 fight, Museveni banned movement of people from one district to another for 42 days except cargo trucks as one of the measures for controlling the spread of coronavirus in the country.

Museveni however made an exception for Kampala, Mukono and Wakiso districts where he allowed people to move. According to Madoi, it is now their role to see that people don’t cross from these districts to Kayunga without genuine reasons starting today.

The major entry points to Kayunga district include River Ssezibwa bridge connecting people from Mukono and Kangulumira town council which borders Njeru in Buikwe district. It can also be accessed by water through districts of Kamuli, Apac, Luwero and Nakasongola.

Dr Ahmed Matovu, the Kayunga District Health Officer-DHO notes that the district has not experienced a swift increase in number of positive cases under the current surge. He is however worried that case numbers may increase with the current urban to rural migration trend.

Statistics at the Kayunga DHO’s office indicate that out of the 1,282 collected samples, only 88 turned out positive, three people died and 13 are under home based care.

However, some boda boda riders believe the ban will not stop people from moving but instead complicate lives for especially residents who do businesses in districts outside Kayunga.

Damian Ssemakula, a boda boda rider at Kangulumira claims that the move is intended to create delays for services especially by private providers. “Still people will move and find us wherever we shall be, but they cannot stop moving.”

Meanwhile, the Buikwe Resident District Commissioner-RDC Jane Francis Kagayi notes that checkpoints at yet to be introduced on various points connecting Buikwe to Jinja and Mukono to prevent unnecessary movement of people as per the presidential directive.

Strict checkpoints will be placed at Moneko, Kawolo division in Lugazi, Nile bridge at Njeru, among other areas.

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URN