RUKUNGIRI: President Museveni yesterday revealed that some of the State House staff have tested positive for Covid-19, something that also forced him to take a test before travelling to Rukungiri District on his final campaign leg in Kigezi Sub-region.
“In State House, we have workers who have been found with Corona. There are workers in three categories. Those of the press and some household workers. I also asked to be tested because I did not want to bring Corona to Rukungiri,” the President said without mentioning the third category of staff affected.
He also did not specify the number of people who tested positive and neither did he speak about their condition nor where they were being treated from.
Mr Museveni, who is the National Resistance Movement (NRM) presidential candidate, made the revelation at Rukungiri Stadium, while he lauded the people for showing him love by lining up on the roads to welcome his convoy.
“I thank the people of Rukungiri for welcoming me like this though I have not come out of the vehicle to wave at you. I want to protect you from the diseases (Covid-19)” he said while addressing NRM leaders and flag bearers from Rukungiri and Kanungu districts.
The vaccine
The President, who during his routine address to the nation, promised that Ugandan scientists were involved in research to find a cure for the deadly virus, said yesterday that the country is trying some medicine. He, however, did not reveal details about the ongoing trials and what kind of medicine it is
“We have some medicine that we are trying but we have not yet concluded. If I tested positive, I would not come here to spread the disease. I would address you on the radio and then drink that medicine,” he said.
It is not clear whether the staff who tested positive had travelled with the President to his country home of Rwakitura in Kiruhura District where he was on Sunday hosting Kigeze NRM youth. It is also not clear whether the Covid-19 positive cases among State House staff was the reason he met the youth leaders outside his home at Karo Primary School.
This is the third time the President is revealing that he got a Covid-19 scare only to test negative.
In August, during his nomination to run for the NRM national chairperson seat and also for party flag bearer, Mr Museveni told the gathering at Plot 13 Kyadondo Road in Kampala that he had called in experts to test him for Covid-19 after his voice got irritated following constant wearing of a face mask.
Also in Kumi District last month, Mr Museveni said he had called experts to the State Lodge in Karamoja to take his Covid-19 samples after developing similar signs.
The NRM is fighting to take the entire Rukungiri District out of the hands of the Opposition. Being the home of four-time presidential candidate Dr Kizza Besigye, his party Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) has three Members of Parliament in the district against NRM’s one MP, Ms Mary Paula Kebirungi of Rubabo County.
