In protest of the continued ban on saloon operations in the country, Top media political talkshow host Kungu Al-mahadi Adam has decided to abandon cutting off his hair and beards until government revises it’s decision.
Saloons are among businesses whose operations were suspended by government on March 18th 2020 as one of the measures to stop the spread of COVID-19.
Kungu who is also a writer with a local online publication, says government has deliberately neglected saloon operators since announcing the ban in March yet many of their operators solely depend on their saloon work for survival.
According to Kungu, government has been able to come up with Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for malls, taxis, arcades, markets and private means of transport to resume operations, something he argues can as well be applied to saloons.
“Just like traders, taxi drivers and owners, Boda Boda cyclists, Saloon attendants were as well affected by the pandemic. Government has found ways for allowing some of these people to resume work, but remained tight-lipped on saloons, why? I have two saloon attendants whom I have been feeding since the announcement of the closure and I really painfully see what they go through to sustain their families, it is bad, it is ugly,” Kungu said on Thursday.
“It really pains to see other people aided to work by government by putting up guidelines for them to follow and neglect the saloon attendants. Four months without earning anything yet some other Ugandans are working is unfair,” notes Kungu.
He explains that since nobody is coming out to air out the grievances of people who depend on saloons for survival, him being the voice of the voiceless, he has severally used the pen and microphone to reach out to government to put in place guidelines for saloons to open and resume business but his efforts have hit a dead end.
“After failing to make headways in having saloons opened using my different media platforms, I have now decided not to cut off my hair and beards until government listens and acts. SOPs for saloons can be put in place and our brothers and sisters start work again. We can’t look on until we see them die of stress and hunger,” he explains.
He says much as he appreciates government for guiding the country on COVID-19, the time has come for the people to be allowed back to work this time under established guidelines, other than slapping a complete ban on them.
The protest comes few days after Pastors under their umbrella body of the National pastors platform of Uganda launched a campaign dubbed “I can’t breathe prayer and lamentation campaign” protesting the continued closure of worship places in the country.