Parliament has Tuesday passed a motion, appreciating President Yoweri Museveni for displaying exceptional leadership during COVID-19 crisis.
The motion was moved by the Member of Parliament for Kole North County Bonny Okello and seconded by Kaberamaido County Veronica Eragu Bichetero ,West Budama South MP and Kiboga East lawmaker Keefa Kiwanuka.
The Tuesday’s motion is seen as a U-turn just a few days when the same Parliament moved and passed a motion expressing displeasure at the President for having referred to legislators as greedy when they allocated shs 10 billion to themselves off a 284 billion supplementary budget passed to combat Coronavirus pandemic.
On Tuesday the MPS argued that COVID-19 was declared a public health emergency of international concern by the World Health Organization and as of 10th May 2020, the virus has affected four Million people worldwide.
The mover of the motion Bonny Okello attributed this to the decision by the President of immediately taking decisive leadership in guiding Government’s response in stopping the spread of the virus.
The lawmakers in the motion noted the President’s insightful leadership is exemplified by the establishment of the response structures such as timely detection, tracking and testing of suspected Covid-19 cases, the provision of food and other life essentials to the vulnerable poor in urban areas, the establishment of a COVID-19 fund into which the Public materially contributes to Government’s response.
The MPs also appreciated the President for his exemplary leadership that has seen Uganda become a beacon of hope in the fight against Covid-19 and other deadly viruses and has mitigated the social and economic effects of the virus on Uganda compared to other countries which have all reported far worse Covid-l9 statistics, including infections and deaths compared to Uganda.
The MPs argued that the President has consistently provided insightful and exemplary leadership during previous viral outbreaks and natural disasters including the recent outbreak of HIV Aids, Ebola, Yellow Fever, Congo Hemorrhagic fever and other natural disasters such as floods, famine and other natural calamities.
The motion comes at the time, the same Parliament passed a motion, expressing displeasure in President Museveni for castigating MPs for allocation themselves Shs10Bn, an act the President described as reprehensible.