Museveni to address nation tonight

State House has announced that the President’s address is to be broadcasted live on all TVs and radio starting at 8 pm.

In his previous address where he was represented by the vice-president, Jessica Alupo, he extended the Ebola lockdown in Mubende and Kassanda for another 21 days.

The address comes at a time Mubende Ebola treatment unit discharged its last Ebola patients on Wednesday this week. The last Ebola patients included 3 women and a one-year-old baby. They received their discharge letters from the facility that same day.

Reports also indicate that the Mubende and Kassanda districts have not registered an Ebola case for the last 20 days.

Many residents have been asking for the lifting of the lockdown.

While talking to the press last week, the Minister of Health, Jane Ruth Aceng, said Uganda was progressing in the fight against the deadly Ebola disease.

“The progress is because of the effort the community is putting in, moving door-to-door, weeding out any case who has a fever, any complaints similar to Ebola, to get tested. Those who have similar symptoms are willing to go under quarantine. That is the impact of community intervention when they are determined to do something,” she told the press.

She added: “If continuously, we can count 21 days and give another 21 one days, then Mubende will be dropped from the follow-up list. That will be a plus for Uganda. Similarly, we are not registering new cases in Kasanda. We have gone nearly 10 days without any new case.”

Government has been carrying out community-based surveillance and active case finding. An on-site mobile laboratory has been established in Mubende and risk communication activities are ongoing in all affected districts.

The President’s address also comes at a time when attacks on security installations have increased.