Locked down in Uganda: surviving coronavirus Kampala-style

Raymond Mayanja lives in Kampala, the bustling capital of Uganda. He is one of an estimated 1.6 million people ordered expressly to stay at home by the government.

President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni is one of the most heard African leaders relative to how governments are strategizing on containment and curbing the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.

His most recent address was on March 30, 2020 where the strictest set of measures were rolled out.
Amongst them: a 14-day ban on all transport. Public transport was banned last week but private cars have been added as cases in the country rise.

Africanews as part of our coronavirus coverage reached out to Raymond over how he was surviving the lockdown. His first response was: “It’s not an easy kind of life to cope up with. But it’s the only solution around to stop the spread of the virus.”

He is one of few people who are able to do some amount of their job online but even with that, he admits internet connectivity is a headache. “I work when work comes in, just that internet is a bit costly.”

What are your biggest fears living in a lockdown?

My biggest fear is, how long will the lockdown take? Shall the medical experts have gotten a cure?

How did you prepare for the current situation?

I had saved up some little money, I did some shopping but if the period takes long it may not last. How do you socialise in these times?

I use watsapp and email, plus Facebook.

How was a typical day before the lockdown?

It was normal, however panic was everywhere.

Do you think government took the right decision with a lockdown and why?

It was totally the right decision, mostly with how poor our health system is… The lockdown is the only way to stop the spread. It’s going to affect us economically but it’s the only solution. Life comes first.

If you want to share your coronavirus lockdown experiences, please send us an email at newmedia@africanews.com. Our team will contact you with a set of questions.