KEY POINTS FROM THE PRESIDENT’S ADDRESS ON COVID-19
1.Curfew time will stay from 7pm to 6.30am. The measure is both a security and health intervention

2. Private vehicles can now carry four, up from three passengers, including the driver. They should observe SOPs like wearing masks

3. Boda bodas. Despite innovations like barriers between rider and passenger, they remain a high risk carrier. Bodas will stay carrying cargo, not passengers.

4. Places of worship will stay closed. They’d pose a difficulty in contact tracing and are a high risk contamination area.

5. Arcades will stay closed. However, relevant agencies will work with arcade owners to pilot prevention procedures to inform future relaxation.

6. Mobile markets, like arcades, will stay closed. They are high risk areas, present difficulty in contact tracing, etc

7. Hawkers(ing), vendors should be discouraged. They get in contact with many people, can’t be traced etc. However, they need targeted education/information

8. Repatriation of bodies for burial in Uganda. They can be repatriated but with strict SOPs from Health and Foreign Affairs Ministries. E.g. Body must be wrapped in a waterproof body bag, placed in a zinc lined coffin and an outer metal or wooden box.

9. Salons will stay closed. Activities here involve close contact between/among people. Contact tracing would be difficult too.

10. Travel in and out of Uganda for medical reasons should be barred, in principle. However, Ministry of Health and other agencies can handle case by case.

11. The following border districts will stay under lockdown: Rakai, Kyotera, Amuru, Buikwe, Gulu, Arua, Adjumani, Moyo, Nebbi, Zombo, Adjumani, Arua, Busia, Bulisa,Pakwach, Rubanda, Rubirizi, Rukiga, Rukungiri, Sironko, and Yumbe

12. Education institutions will remain closed. Radios and written education materials will be distributed to every household in the country.

13.The Independent Electoral Commission, after consulting scientists, has proposed a “scientific” electoral process. Ugandans should support this exercise

President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni announced several people’s names to take over top jobs at Kampala Capital City Authority including, the Executive Director’s Office.

This comes after more than a year since Jennifer Musisi resigned from the position of Executive Director. Kisaka works in the Office of the Prime Minister as senior advisor to the Prime Minister.

In the letter addressed to the Public Service Commission, the President has directed the public service commission to interview Kisaka and four other officials to find out whether they are suitable for the positions.

Museveni also replaced two directors, whose contracts, had expired.

Harriet Mudondo, who has been the Director of Gender, Community Services and Production, is to be replaced by Deputy Lord Mayor Sarah Kanyike, while Richard Lule is to be replaced by Grace Akullo as Director of Administration and Human Resource Management.

WHO IS DOROTHY KISAKA THE INCOMING KCCA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR?

Dorothy is Senior Presidential Advisor in the Government of Uganda, at the Office of the Prime Minister, tasked with coordinating with political and non political actors to implement public policy. She is Deputy Head at the Prime Minister’s Delivery Unit, fast tracking service delivery on government priorities.

Her background is in law, a private law practitioner with 20 years experience, legal counsel to governance boards, and experienced in organisational strategic leadership. Dorothy mentors leaders in Uganda and world wide as visiting international faculty. She pioneered a Leadership School under Destiny Consult which trains highly placed market place leaders to serve with excellence and integrity.

Formerly a commissioner at the NRM Electoral Commission supervising intra-party elections, she currently serves as Board Chairman for Development Associates International, and represents Africa on the Haggai International Board. She is a dynamic communicator, and a strong advocate for the placement of abandoned children in families. Dorothy lives in Kampala Uganda with her husband and children.

Four men have been arrested over killing of a silver back gorilla in Bwindi Impenetrable national park. In a statement released on Twitter by the Uganda Wildlife Authority, the alleged four men killed Rafiki, a well known mountain gorilla of approximately 25 years.

According to the UWA report, the silverback known as Rafiki was killed by a poacher using a sharp object possibly a spear that penetrated his internal organs after entering through his abdomen.

Rafiki has been popular among tourists going on gorilla tours for decades and is believed to have lived for 25 years. He was the leader of Nkuringo gorilla family, a habituated family of 12 individuals in the Southern Part of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Rafiki who went missing on 1 June and the body was discovered the next day.

The death of Rafiki shocked the tourism fraternity for losing famous beringei beringei the leader of Nkuringo gorilla family who was friendly to humans.

The four poachers who have been arrested for killing of a rare silverback gorilla are Byamukama Felix, Bampabenda Evarist, Museveni Valence and Mubangizi Yonasi.

Despite the fact that tourism has been affected by Covid-19 Outbreak, it has been confirmed by the organization that poaching has increased in recent months where national parks have been on suspension.

UWA the government body in charge of conservation of Uganda’s wildlife reported that the post-mortem report showed that a sharp device or object had penetrated his abdomen and pierced his internal organs. The report was done by the Gorilla Doctors and the Uganda Wildlife Authority.

The Authority arrested the poachers and one of them Byamukama Felix confessed of killing the gorilla in self-defense. He claimed the gorilla had charged at him while he and a colleague were hunting. Felix not only defended himself but also pointed out his colleagues whom he had in the forest that is Bampabenda Evarist.

Mr. Felix lives in Murole village in western part of Uganda and was found with several hunting devices, including a spear, rope snares, wire snares and a hunting bell for a dog collar with bush pig meat.

The authority reported that Felix mentioned Museveni Valence and Mubangizi Yonasi whom they were sharing bush pig with and were arrested on June 7th 2020.

Spokesperson of UWA said that these four men were imprisoned for being found in possession of wildlife specimens, illegal entry into a protected area and killing an endangered species, which carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. The last time a mountain gorilla died at the hands of humans was in 2011.

What are other more challenges that mountain gorillas face apart from poaching?

• Political instabilities which is commonly in Democratic Republic of Congo.
• Human encroachment
• Forest degradation
• Diseases brought by humans like Ebola, flu and pneumonia.