50 Ugandan MPs sick with Covid-19

“About 50 Members of Parliament and staff who participated in the EAC Legislative Assembly sports in Arusha have tested positive for Covid-19. They are being managed by the Ministry of Health and Parliament health team. No hospitalization case registered. The majority who went to Arusha are safe,” said Mr. Obore.

As to why the Members of Parliament and staff who went to Arusha were infected by Covid-19, Mr. Obore said that since the games were physically engaging and interactive the players could not strictly observe the Standard Operating Procedures. 

Mr. Obore’s assistant, Ms Grace Gidudu, added that the 50 positive cases were detected at the entry of parliament.

Asked about the number of people that left the country to participate in the East African Community-EAC Inter-Parliamentary games, Ms Gidudu could not readily avail the number. She said that all legislators and staff tested for Covid-19 in the conference hall of parliament on Monday.

Ms Gidudu however said that testing of those coming and going to parliament was routine and in line with procedure, so the tests neither targeted the legislators or staff that traveled to Arusha. 

Upon arrival at parliament, 400 people took the tests on Monday. 

The East African Community (EAC) Inter-Parliamentary games started on December 4th, 2020, and ended on December 17th, 2020.

At the games, Team Uganda rustled up multiple victories. 

In the athletics competition, the Ugandan team burst out of the blocks with two wins over Kenya and Zanzibar. 

MP Phiona Nyamutoro (NRM, National Female Youth) literally and metaphorically ran away with two wins – the 100m race and that of 200m, pulling off an impressive winning streak against Kenya, the favourites. 

MP Gaffa Mbwatekamwa (NRM, Igara County West) won the 1,500m race, executing a surprise win over Kenya. 

MP Francis Zaake (NUP, Mityana Municipality), also upset Kenya with a win in the 100m race (men), thereby cementing Uganda’s dominance in the track and field events. 

The EAC Inter-Parliamentary Games tournament is an important building block in helping to construct monumentally solid relations between the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) and the National Assemblies in the EAC region in line with Article 49(2)(a) of the Treaty for the establishment of the East African Community.

The Games featured football, netball, athletics and tug-of-war. Volleyball and golf were also introduced in these exciting and competitive games. 

Source: The Daily Monitor