By Spy Uganda
Several owners of bars, night clubs and reactional facilities in Uganda have petitioned president Yoweri Kaguta Museveni to intervene in their dire situation by causing to rescue them through a bail out, or find a way of allowing them to open their businesses again.
Through their umbrella body ‘Bar, Club and Entertainment Owners Association, the businessmen and women seek a meeting with President Museveni for dialogue about their problems.
Rugirwa Katatumba, who is the Chairman of their Association, has since written a letter to the President date June 25th, 2020, requesting a meeting with the head of state.
Katatumba’s letter reads in part thus;
“To:
HIS EXELLENCY PRESIDENT OF UGANDA GEN. TOWER! KAGUTA MUSEVENI
RE: Way forward towards opening up in line with, your Directive on Stopping all Public Gatherings Including Bars.
Firstly we would like to thank you. Your Excellency for your quick response and how you have handled and managed this Corona Virus (COVID-19) pandemic in Uganda.
As you may be aware. Your Excellency, we are one of the Leading Tax payers in Uganda and we employ hundreds of thousands of Ugandan’s mainly the youth.
Our industry has been bit hardest due to this Global Pandemic.
In line with your, Directive on stopping ALL Public gatherings including BARS, Clubs, Concerts etc and in a bid to curtail the spread of this Pandemic, (COVID-19) I kindly seek an appointment with you as The Chairman of The Bar, Club and Entertainment Owners Association to find a lasting solution to this Industry’s survival.
I still urge All Bar, Club Entertainment Owners Association to comply with your Presidential Directive until further announced by yourself.”
It should be noted that as one of the measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19, President Museveni in March this year ordered the closure of bars, salons, beaches, gyms, saunas, night clubs, churches, mosques, schools, universities and other facilities where people gather in large numbers.
He argued that there is no way social distancing can be maintained in such facilities because of many people gathering in one places, which breeds fertile ground for the spread of the virus.
However, despite the COVID-19 measures, several bar owners, waiters, waitresses, ushers and other people who were eking a living by working at entertainment facilities were left jobless as a result of the lockdown, yet the President has never mentioned any redress for this category of people whenever he gives his national addresses on COVID-19.
