President Museveni to address the nation on Friday

Senior Presidential Press Secretary Lydia Nabusayi confirmed the address and also added that the President will convey his message to the nation at 8:00 pm from Rwakitura, in Kiruhura District. 

“The address will be live on all Radios and Televisions,” Ms. Nabusayi said.

The announcement of the president’s address comes a day after he (Museveni) met the Covid-19 task force team led by Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja on Monday in Rwakitura. 

This meeting was held to discuss the surge in new Covid-19 infections across the country.

According to the National Planning Authority (NPA), last weeks’ new cases were more than five times what was recorded the week before.

In its weekly Covid-19 report, the authority is projecting an increase in new cases for the week of December 26th 2021, to January 1st, 2022, with an average of 560 new cases per day and a weekly total of 3,900 

Contrary reports have been leaked regarding the Monday meeting between the President and the Covid-19 task force.

Some reports have it that the task force and the President agreed that the economy fully reopens in January 2022, albeit in stages, despite a surge in Covid-19 infections.

Other reports relate how the taskforce and the president failed to reach a resolution on the matter, with some reports indicating that scientists on the taskforce favoured a wait-and-see policy before the economy is fully opened up.

The public, as it evident, is eager in its anticipation to see all sectors of the economy reopened on January 1, 2022.

This despite the looming threat of increased infections, with the NPA’s Science Planning Department saying for the week of 2nd to 8th January 2022, a daily average of 600 new cases and a weekly total of 4,200 is projected.

In March 2020, President Museveni announced a nationwide lockdown as a means of forestalling the spread of Covid-19.

He thus announced the closure of all the educational institutions, suspended communal prayers in mosques, churches and other public spaces.

These restrictions led to a suspension of all public political rallies, cultural gatherings or conferences, among other events.

The president also shut down the bars and entertainment centers. 

Although these restrictions were largely reversed when the threat of Covid-19 seemingly abated as schools and public gatherings were allowed to resume, in June this year the President shut down schools again and suspended public gatherings after the second wave of Covid-19.

He has promised a full reopening of the economy in January, but as other countries around the world increase restrictions or shutdown altogether, the president might have to modify his promise to suit prevailing rises in Covid-19 infections.