Uganda donates food to vulnerable people during lockdown

Officials in Uganda have donated food to vulnerable people living in the metropolitan area of Kampala during the lockdown.

Stringent measures employed to stop spread of the coronavirus means, millions of people are out of the jobs in the East Africa nation.

“I have the most vulnerable people. They are vulnerable so much because I have taxi drivers, taxi conductors, Boda Boda (motorcycle taxis) men, women they are working in markets, market workers so these people are so vulnerable. And look at the area it is full of water, houses were vacated so people here are very poor. They work hand to mouth every day”, said Bwaise community leader, Farida Ssemanda.

Despite expressing gratitude, some residents are uncertain about when the next meal will arrive when they run out.

“I’m at home, without work, with 4 kids who are out of school. They need food, and there is no money. We are in a very bad situation. We’re very happy about this initiative by the government to deliver food, but when the food will be finished, what will we do?” Kampala resident, Many Matovu, asked.

The door-to-door food delivery targets some 1.5 million people. The initiative was halted by the parliamentary speaker, who wanted officials to commit to a nationwide arrangement before the start of relief efforts in Kampala.

She was overruled. On Friday, President Yoweri Museveni suggested that there was not enough money to help everyone. He said food donation was not an exercise in poverty reduction.

The food distribution was launched in the Kampala suburb of Bwaise, which has a substantial population of the urban poor.