By SERUMAGA DAVID
On July 19, 2021, I read a disappointing story from one of Uganda’s local newspapers alleging how Covid vaccines were sold to a city trader secretly. The story further alleges that the Ministry of Health gave Ham Kiggundu 2,000 doses of the scarce Covid-19 AstraZenaca vaccine to immunize his tenants and workers.
I must firmly say that ‘’yes’’, over 2,000 eligible people and tenants of Uganda’s business community headed by Hamis Kiggundu aka Ham Kiggundu were vaccinated with the aim of curbing the deadly virus. This means that there was nothing secretive about the vaccination process that was done publicly for fellow countrymen and women in Kampala Central Business District.
We all know that since the vaccination process commenced, there was a low turn up for vaccination in Kampala central business area which prompted Mr. Kiggundu engaged with the Ministry of Health and vowed to voluntarily mobilize and transport appropriate people around including his tenants and workers following the Ministry of Health SOPs.
Mr. Kiggundu as a businessman, knows very well that Covid-19 is hindering business a lot and he did not want to see people dying yet he has the capacity to mobilize them for vaccination which was scientifically approved as a remedy to curb the deadly virus.
This is not the first time, Mr. Kiggundu donates to Ugandans. In April 2020, Mr. Kiggundu donated food relief to Uganda’s Covid-19 task force, he also donated food supplies to over 100 Ugandan journalists but was also criticized for providing cash handouts to journalists. His kind activity of mobilizing people in Kampala’s central business area does not have any connection to the Ugh. 530m he donated to the Government of Uganda.
Such outreach vaccination exercises have so far been carried out at various agencies like the Inspectorate of Government Headquarters, Uganda Revenue Authority and many more.
We must note that a few weeks ago, Mr. Kiggundu donated over 100 megaphones and reflector jackets to the Kampala Resident City Commissioner, Mr. Hudu Hussein and members of Kampala City Traders Association (KACITA) to be used in enforcing SOPs central business area and emphasizing traders to go for vaccination.
We call upon Ugandans who have the capacity to mobilize Ugandans for vaccination to emulate Ham Kiggundu and join him in saving lives as a way of giving back to the community because of his contribution to fighting the deadly Covid-19 various.
As we move to the next stage of the covid response, it is essential we change behavior slowly and steadily in protecting ourselves and others around us by knowing the facts and taking appropriate precautions while following SOPs and together we can end this deadly covid-19.
No one should be intimidated or stopped by engaging in any activity that leads us to the end of Covid-19 like the way Mr. Kiggundu did because it is not only Godly to save lives but a patriotic gesture.
I implore all media personalities to always remember to be balanced before they mislead the public because it costs them a lot when it comes to credibility.
David Serumaga
Concerned Citizen
Kampala
