President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni’s senior press secretary Don Wanyama has rubbished off CNN’s praise on Uganda’s opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi as one of the top African heroes for fighting COVID-19.
The American news cable named Kyagulanyi alias Bobi Wine among the top five African COVID heroes and newsmakers.
“We are excited to introduce CNN COVID HEROES & NEWSMAKERS, a social media series where we will be speaking to Africans on the frontline and key players driving strategy as the continent faces,” CNN said while publishing its list on social media.
However, CNN’s decision to include name Bobi Wine an African COVID hero has stirred debate with many Ugandans questioning the role he has played in combating the pandemic.
Days after the virus had been confirmed in Uganda, Bobi Wine hit studios and released a song sensitizing the population about the dangers of this pandemic. But he was not alone, a couple of other musicians including his strong critic Bebe Cool (real names Moses Ssali) recorded a collabo about COVID-19.
Don Wanyama who speaks for Museveni said the list confirms CNN is a fake news peddler as constantly labeled by their President Donald Trump.
“Just confirming the fake news label. A little research would tell you who the key frontline players in Uganda are,” said Mr Wanyama.
He wondered whether CNN is up to a certain agenda by fronting Kyagulanyi as a hero, “Or is it just about pushing a certain agenda?”
Mr Wanyama’s boss, Museveni has received praise from different stakeholders both local and international for his continued efforts to defeat the virus in his country.
Uganda has so far seen 45 recoveries and zero deaths.
Only 63 cases have been recorded by the Ministry of Health.
Museveni in his first address about COVID-19 assured Ugandans that he would defeat the virus same way he has defeated other epidemics like Ebola and AIDS whose prevalence rate stands at 5%.
Museveni instituted a 35-day lockdown as a plan to enable experts screen all those suspected to have been infected particularly locals who recently returned from abroad.
In the recent past no local case has been recorded only cargo drivers who enter Uganda from neighbouring Kenya and Tanzania.