By Andrew Irumba
When you here them encourage other Ugandans to be more responsible and play a’citizenry’ role by donating to the National Task force, one might think the big shots on the panel already donated and donated and donated! However, the bitter truth is, most have only donated the saliva that they lose when mobilizing others to contribute!
The National Response to COVID-19 requested some companies in Uganda to ask their employees to contribute shs10,000/= off their May salaries towards the fight against Covid-19 pandemic. This is despite the fact quite a number of Ugandans and Companies have already been donating. (https://gracesterling.com/)
However, several Ugandans who are contributing towards the fight against Coronavirus (COVID-19) are concerned about a long list of wealthy people who have adamantly not given a coin towards the cause, but are well positioned to keep receiving from the most poor, including from their own tea girls and cleaners .
Whereas president Yoweri Museveni donated part of his salary Shs1.4m to support the cause, and has always been reading names of all contributors, the names of his own top members of the task force have been mysteriously missing.
Some concerned Ugandans contend that there’s a list of very rich civil servants and businessmen who have not yet contributed anything towards the COVID-19 cause, yet they’re very loud on media mobilizing others to contribute.
Worse still is that top on the list of those who have not contributed funds towards the COVID-19 are the people who were appointed by President Yoweri Museveni to head the COVID-19 Taskforce.
Our reporter has since intercepted a WhatsApp group where they were discussing a few individuals on the panel as follows; “You guyz, do you know the first rich man to eat Codiv19 money was Vision Group CEO Robert Kabushenga? that man bagged over shs55m to print stickers as soon as Corona landed in Uganda, but he has not contributed anything so far yet, he is on the task force,” one submitted.
Another responded; “It’s not only Kabushenga, Emannuel Katongole is (Cipla) Quality Chemicals boss, he even seats on national oil board and others, but he has contributed nothing. look at a whole PM Rugunda, Karooro Okurut and others,nothing,” submitted another one.
Another one came and said; “This Aga sekalala is the owner of Radio Simba whose sloagn is “Ffe Mwe, Mwe ffe”, he owns Uga Chick and other big businesses in town, but he has given nothing,”
It should be noted that just yesterday the national task force team announced a uniform figure of shs1m contribution by each member, although it has not yet started paying.
Following the public out bursts, we deemed it fit to bring you the full member list on the National Codiv19 response Task force Team, read below:
1- Eng. Emmanuel Katongole- Chairperson- (Chairman B.o.D UNOC, Proprietor Cipla Quality Chemicals)
2-Robert Kabushenga- Member- (CEO Vision Group. They got the first deal of printing stickers of about shs55)
3-Apollo Makubuya-Member- (Prominent Lawyer with MMAKS. Has done a lot of work with Government agencies and earned billions of money. Among their biggest clients has been Bank of Uganda)
4-Kishor Jobanputra Member- (Chairman Picfare Group)
5-Patrick Mweheire-Member- (Regional Chief Executive, Standard Bank Group)
65-Gustaves Bwoch-Member- Board Chair Centenary Bank
7-Bishop Joshua Lwere-Member- General Overseer National Alliance of Pentecostals and Evangelical Services
8-Aga Sekalala (JR)- Member (Managing Director Ugachic)
9-Dr Ian Clarke- Member- (Chairman, Ugandan Healthcare Federation)
10-Dr Francis Omaswa-Member- (Former Director General of Health Services)
11- Keith Muhakanizi-Member-(Permanent Secretary to the Treasury)
12- Dr Diana Atwine-Member- (Permanent Secretary Ministry of Health)
13-Mrs. Dorothy Kisaka- Secretary Admin. To Finance -(Deputy Delivery Unit OPM)
Dr Ruhakana Rugunda: Ndugu Rugunda is the Prime Minister of Uganda and heads the National COVID-19 Task Force, but unfortunately, no one has seen or read about his contribution, atleast as of Monday night 18th May.
Not even President Museveni has read about Rugunda’s contribution on the list of those who contributed empty jerrycans!
Min.Mary Karooro Okurut: The Minister for General Duties in the office of the prime minister Hon. Mary Karooro Busingye Okurut was appointed by President Museveni to head the COVID-19 fundraising committee but despite collecting billions of shillings from several Ugandans, she is yet to announce her contributions, whether financial or in form of relief food and other items, not even a piece of cassava, leave alone a full one.
Concerned Ugandans are worried that as these wealthy Ugandans, who want to collect money from all employees, including receptionists and tea girls, live a life of opulence and luxury, they want to even go after the penny that the poor Ugandans who toil through sweat and blood earn.
But also, some think that the speed used to collected is far different from that used to distribute. A rocket is used in collection and a tortoise in distribution.
