Uganda activists held over 'slow virus relief' protests

Ugandan police have arrested activists for protesting against “slow distribution” of relief goods, mainly food, by the government among the poor citizens affected by the coronavirus lockdown, local media reported Monday.

“Police have arrested Dr Stella Nyanzi, events promoter Andrew Mukasa alias Bajjo and others for demonstrating over what they called 'slow distribution' of government relief food to vulnerable people affected by the COVID-19 lockdown, “ NTV Uganda tweeted.

The activists were held while demonstrating on streets in the capital Kampala, according to the AfricaFeeds news website.

Uganda’s poor are bearing the brunt of a nationwide shutdown declared by President Yoweri Museveni to contain the outbreak.

Museveni ordered restrictions on movement of people, including the use of public or private vehicles, motorcycles, and directed the closure of all shopping malls, arcades, hardware shops, all non-food stores, saloons, lodges and garages.

Although the restrictions have since been eased on several non-essential businesses, the immediate fallout was on the poor whose livelihoods depend on daily wages.

The East African country, which confirmed its first infection on March 22, has registered 248 COVID-19 cases. No virus-linked deaths have been confirmed so far, according to the data by Johns Hopkins University.