WHY GOVERNMENT ALLOWED 4000 PEOPLE TO ATTEND MUSEVENI SWEARING IN CEREMONY

The opposition, supporters and some sections of the media are again up in arms against the government for allowing a total of 4000 invited guests to attend the inauguration and swearing in ceremonies of the President elect Yoweri Kaguta Museveni.

As usual this is expected of them but the hullabaloo about the number of people to attend tomorrow's ceremonies at Kalolo Independence Grounds should stop.

The Minister of Presidency Hon Esther Mbayo in her address to the media yesterday made it categorically clear that 4000 people will be allowed to access Kololo Airstrip to attend the scientific ceremony.

Mbayo disclosed that a total of 21 Heads of States and Governments and their delegation have already confirmed their attendance at the ceremony.

Those who have confirmed their attendance include Uhuru Kenyatta (Kenya), Samia Suluhu Hassan (Tanzania), Cyril Ramaphosa (South Africa), Salva Kiir (South Sudan), Paul Kagame (Rwanda), Felix Tshisekedi (DR Congo), Teodoro Obianga N'guema (Equatorial Guinea), Emmerson Mnangagwa (Zimbabwe), and Edgar Lungu (Zambia).

The Minister for Presidency also said that they have invited 17 guests from each district of Uganda, all Members of Parliament-Elect, all former Presidential candidates, the members of the National Resistance Movement Central Executive Committee (CEC), members of the East African Legislative Assembly, Resident District Commissioners (RDC), and all LC 5 Chairpersons across the districts.

They also invited a few religious leaders and members of the business community as selected by the organizing committee.

All these invited people have to undergo a COVID 19 tests, first
Coronavirus jab and mandatory screening as they access the venue. Minister Mbayo said that the organizers have put in enough tents in the spacious Kololo Grounds that will allow adequate space to allow social distance of 200 meters apart.

The organizing team also introduced the COVID 19 rapid tests to apply mainly for foreign guests who will accompany the invited Heads of State and these will be able to get the results just within 2 hours of testing.

However, it should be remembered that according to the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) all political gatherings are restricted to only 200 but this has been an exception and a lot of caution has been exercised.

Minister Mbayo explained that this is a special function that happens only once in 5 years and they sought a waiver from the Ministry of Health and Attorney General to have the 4000 numbers.

However she said that all this will be done in conformity with other Standard Operating Procedures such as social distance, hand washing and sanitization where necessary.

Anyone who has been invited to attend the function at Kololo Airstrip will nonetheless take a COVID 19 tests and will be required to present a certificate on arrival.

Therefore, the hullabaloo from the opposition who are intimating that 4000 people attending the swearing in ceremony should stop it because every caution has been taken care of.