Mathias Mpuuga, the leader of opposition in Parliament has dismissed the government aid to vulnerable people during 42 day lockdown as short of expectations and discriminative.

President Yoweri Museveni announced a 42 day national lockdown to help slow down the spread of Covid-19 in the country and promised the vulnerable in the urban areas an assistance of 100,000 Shillings.

President Museveni said the money would be handled through the Prime Minister Robinah Nabanja’s office. The Prime Minister Nabanja confirmed to Parliament last week that she had sent to 80% of the population categorised as vulnerable.

100,000 Shillings to vulnerable

Nabbanja said: “As of yesterday 20th July 2021, 4:00pm a total of 413,5O4 beneficiary records had been submitted to the bank and paid which represents 82.5%, 41, 350,400,000 shillings..”

The PM ADDED: “Out of the total of the 501,107 records submitted to the Ministry, a total of 87,603 records did not pass the verification requirements by Telecom databases due to the following reasons; Rightwards arrow Invalid, National ID No. Rightwards arrow Telephone No. registered under different names from the ID.”

Opposition response to Covid-19 management

However, Mpuuga in his response to the Prime Minister on Covid-19, decried: “Apart from food, the cash relief did not consider other costs of daily living such as rent, water, electricity and medical core. These costs ought to have been incorporated in the computation of the cash transfer amount:

The National Unity Platform legislator appreciated: “Whereas the cash relief gesture is welcomed, it’s implementation is pretty much discriminative.”

Mpuuga belittled: “It is quite unfortunate that focus on COVID response is being reduced to the UGX 100,000 cash transfer to vulnerable workers. The cash assistance has been derived from a proposed minimum expenditure food basket which includes posho, beans, soap and cooking oil.”

He went on: “Whereas local governments exist, the Central Government has for long adopted a divergent recentralisation system in intent and stature. Local governments have been robbed of the constitutional devolved functions, powers and responsibilities.”

Mpuuga urged: “ln a bid to save lives, it is our considered opinion that government extends support to private health facilities in form of incentives such as tax waivers on utilities, deployment of medical personnel, joint procurement of drugs and supply of oxygen.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0FXkbtc0Ad4