27th/07/2021

Democratic Party wishes to congratulate the Kabaka of Buganda, His Majesty Ronald Muwenda Mutebi and the people of Buganda on reaching the 28th Coronation week.

Democratic Party is the only Political Party in Uganda that has protection of customs and traditional institutions as one of her values for which we stand, it is important that we declare it here and now that we shall fight all manner of conduct intended to destabilise the cultural construction of societies that make Uganda.

Upon that, we wish to communicate our dissatisfaction with the move by government intended to tamper with the established land management system in Buganda, the Mailo land tenure system. In whatever manner it shall be presented, we wish to commit ourselves that we shall stand on the side of the people of Buganda and such areas where uncouth alterations may occur.

Secondly, the forty two (42) days of lockdown are ending this week and yet the government has not come out to present an order of easing the lockdown especially in regard to the various sectors in the country for instance, our children have to go back to school, how will this be handled. The government had come up with a brilliant idea of providing every household with radios through which studies would be conducted, this was a good idea since it does not allow the gathering of many pupils in one place like it normally happens during normal class lessons, the gathering would be somewhat problematic right now since the virus is still here and with only 180,000 persons fully vaccinated against the COVID-19 pandemic.

It’s coming to two years down the road but the good idea has not yet seen light, perhaps corruption should have made the idea have a still birth.

We should adopt online studies especially in Institutions of higher learning where the method is possible, unfortunately the government has continued to make Internet services inaccessible to many Ugandans including students who would embrace online studies, there very many applications including zoom that can be used to conduct lessons, the government should begin considering strongly other options of study other than physical attendance of classes, at least for the next two or more years because no body knows when we shall be out of the pandemic and yet our children have to study.

Democratic Party continues to remind government that rapid COVID-19 testing programs should be rolled out and such testing kits made available to the health private practitioners at a cheaper cost this can be a way of partnership between government and the private health centers.

That suggested above and many more unmentioned strategies can be used to form structures that shall sustain the prevention of the spread of the pandemic when the country comes out of the lockdown.

We need to have a well structured plan of easing out the lockdown, and the responsibility of coming up with such a plan entirely rests on the part of government. It’s two days away from the end of the lockdown but until now the government has not communicated any plan of easing out the lockdown, if there are plans of maintaining the lockdown, the same should be communicated too such that people realize that they are offered as sacrifices to hunger and all such sordid predicaments that come with the lockdown. We cannot afford another lockdown, but if that be so, then, it’s important that the same is communicated in time.

Democratic Party therefore demands that government announces a comprehensive plan communicating the structure that shall sustain the fight against the deadly pandemic.

The third issue is about digital tracking devices that government suggests should mandatorily be inserted in private vehicles, firstly the tender being awarded to a company that is at the verge of running bankrupt raises many questions, secondly there is no legal framework that supports the move unless such law is created, as Democratic Party we shall fight the suggestion as it suggests to infringe on the privacy of Ugandans which contravenes chapter four of our Constitution.

I thank you.