Questions for Hon. Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng from an Ordinary Ugandan

The covid-19 pandemic has brought the world to its knees.Virtually all countries have taken a hard hit irrespective of the advancement of health systems, economic or political might.

I don’t know about other countries, but here in Uganda, the ordinary person has suffered most. Businesses are at a standstill, there is uncertainty over the opening of schools and churches and according to the figures, there seems to be no light at the end of the tunnel.

At the center of the covid-19 fight is a well educated and experienced medical practitioner, Hon. Dr. Ruth Aceng. It is therefore necessary that in order not to be confused by the political class and the uninformed bloggers, the ordinary citizen gets answers from the horse’s mouth.

It must also be remembered that all President Museveni’s decision are made not out of the blue but from reliable information courtesy of his scientists. If there is anyone the president is referring to as ‘scientists’, Dr. Ruth Aceng must be the obvious culprit. She is a trained medical doctor who has risen through the ranks.

The ordinary citizen would therefore like to know the following from Hon. Dr. Ruth Aceng.

If salons are closed, where do you do your hair?

After 3 months of lockdown with salons closed, the whole of Uganda would have heads far different from what we had before. We would start seeing more Rastafarians or women with African wraps around their heads. If not, at least we would start seeing more men wear caps to cover their growing hair though with beards this time.

The chief scientist, Dr. Ruth Aceng and all her team have consistently had a modest version of their hair styles without change from the past. Therefore Madam Aceng, where do you do your hair and where are the rest of Ugandans seeking this service?

If social distance is key in fighting corona, why are the armed forces seen packed?

According to Ministry of Health guidelines, the observance of social distance is key in fighting Covid – true. Why then would the government put the lives of our armed forces at risk?

According to what the ordinary citizen sees, it is very OK for police officers to travel 2 or even more on a motorbike. The Police Patrol cars have been consistently been seen carrying 6 or more officers at the back which according to your guidelines is risky.

It is highly doubtful that our half trained brothers, the LDUs live in conducive environments that protect them from the novel corona virus.

In the beginning, measures where tight, why relax the guidelines when there are more cases?

When we had just realised in March, that the danger posed a serious threat to citizens, everything was put on standstill. With less than 10 cases, all means of transport apart from the privileged Covid Response team were shut down.

Surprisingly, as the cases increased, you advised the president to relax some of the measures. Sometimes when I pass by Kikuubo in Kampala, I assume my head is upside down. Taxis can now even carry some passengers yet in the beginning, with fewer cases it was a crime to carry even a pregnant mother about to give birth.

Does Covid travel faster after 7pm?

Among the guidelines madam scientist, we are supposed to be at home by 7:00 pm. Should we assume that the virus is lethal at night? What is wrong with me working up to 10:00 pm in my retail shop before I walk back home, a more kilometer away?

When it comes to those who have totally failed any form of government assistance in Kampala, going back to the village is the next choice. Given the distance and heat of the day, I would prefer walking at night where I may not need to quench my thirst with a bottle of water.

We realised Corona was coming from cross-boarder truck drivers, why are they still coming?

When a small pox outbreak hits a school, do you send the the healthy students home and leave the sick ones to continue with their studies? The only reason I think my logic is upside down is perhaps because I eat from a kafunda while you eat food from the best trained chefs in the comfort of an air conditioner.

What medication are you giving the corona patients?

The Ministry of Health has done a commendable job with 100% recovery rates over the past months. Medical workers who are attending to these patients have also been seen in the media jubilating over their success.

On the other hand, many of the patients have been seen in the media complaining about harsh conditions at the medical facilities. Many have testified that they are in fact given nothing during their stay at the facilities. What is the magic cure that your Ministry has found so effective putting countries with better health systems to shame?

What logic makes a police officer without a mask arrest a senior member of society with a mask?

Just last week, Hon. Ibrahim Ssemuju Nganda was arrested for flouting presidential guidelines. Sadly, the men in uniform who were in charge had no face masks as guided by the Ministry of Health.

In fact, the more sane option would be for the government to apologise to the public because a full MP was seen in public flouting the presidential guidelines. However, because Ssemujju he had a blue T-shirt, he had to be violently arrested by other criminals – criminals in the sense that they had no masks.

Why are government masks more expensive than children’s pampers?

According to figures (UShs 81 billion for 30 million masks), a mask will go for 2,700 Uganda shillings. This figure beats logic since the manufacturing process will enjoy economies of scale and are made not for profit.

Dear Hon. Minister, please learn today that a baby’s pamper costs 500 Ug. Shs in a retail shop, it has several layers all of this putting into consideration that the retailer, supplier, manufacture all got a profit. As an ordinary citizen, I expect a high grade face mask

Why don’t you address the nation from home?

One of the guidelines in protecting the Pearl of Africa against Covid is staying at home. All through the past months, you have been seen addressing the nation at places that don’t look like home.

Hon. Minister, how about you giving us an example and doing all your work remotely just like you have convinced the nation that all of us can. If you didn’t know, the mighty NBS TV can comfortably move to your home and hold a press conference without you moving an inch outside the comfort of your homestead.

If we get more cases in January 2021, shall we close that academic year too?

All signs show that the government is considering calling off this academic year. For fear of breaking the hearts of their voters, they are feeding us with words of hope but deep inside know that this is a dead year.

However, Madam Minister, supposing we got more cases next year, doesn’t logic tell you that we shall close that year too? Now, if we got more cases and then still opened schools, what will you tell those who have missed salaries for a whole year under the name of protecting our lives?

As I sign out, I hope to get the answers to these questions throuigh the same forum so that I can relay them to my village mates who might never get a chance of addressing you.