Some elements of Police and their love for kitu kidogo shouldn’t have come at trying time of the deadly coronavirus era.
Uganda until the rush hour announced by President Yoweri Museveni, had no case registered.
The no nonsense Ruth Aceng the minister of health had stood her ground on all rushing to take refugee in the country.
Even those that had left the country insulting its dirt, gathered their belongings and boarded the next plane back home.
All-powerful in government who had abused the education and health system, sent for their British and American accent speaking children to return home.
The praise on social media handle especially Twitter of Ruth Aceng and her team excited many that the safehaven is Uganda.
Airlines must have made a kill around that time as Ugandans, Chinese, Indians, Nigerians and so many people of all walks of life thronged Entebbe Airport, Busia, Oraba, Nimule and other points to slip in.
This probably explains why the name The Pearl of Africa by then British Prime Minister Winston Churchhill comes into play.
Focus was mainly on Entebbe Airport that many locals believed would usher in the country’s maiden case.
Reports of Ugandans deported from Dubai in their hundreds scared the population. Indeed they were right.
However, at that time the routinely updates by the brave Aceng were comforting. She was pictured at some point doing the tests herself.
Then the video of her engaging journalists at the airport pictured a minister settled to die for the nation. She had made it hard for anybody to easily find their way in.
It started going wrong when the country’s so called human rights elements and foreign journalists started throwing word around about the hotel bills. How they were unmanageable to the returning group for the quarantine period of two weeks.
There was the pressure from the so called powerful in government and security who had their people at the airport and wanted them in by any means.
Some are reported to have punched their way in. SP Baker Kawonawo, the Entebbe District Police Commander, was arrested over allegations that he allowed some people to go past Entebbe International Airport without first undergoing screening and quarantine in his area of jurisdiction.
The minister surely wasn’t going to camp full time at Entebbe Airport and quarantine points to do police work. Any right thinking Ugandan, not just about their work, have a nation at heart. And would have had the audacity to block any attempts by individuals to bribe their way in.
How does one even afford to sleep when the emerging cases are all being reported to have come from Dubai and other countries who sneaked in with the help of the police.
Nobody will question the pay of the officers, that is peanuts. But we are talking about a virus that has brought the world’s super powers to their knees. 678,113 cases, 31,748 deaths world wide; USA 123,781 cases, 2229 deaths; Italy, 92,472 cases, 10,023 deaths; China, 81,439 cases, 3,300 deaths; Spain 78,797 cases, 6,528 deaths; Germany 58,247 cases, 455 deaths; France 37,575 deaths, 2,314, UK 17,089 cases, 1019 deaths. How do you want to use this as an opportunity to make a kill at the expense of the population who includes your family, relatives and friends.
Forget the Entebbe Airport blow. They let hundreds into the population, 30 and so have tested positive.
President Yoweri Museveni and the ministry of health announced measures; suspending public transport which includes buses, taxis and boda bodas. And police is heavily tasked to champion the supervision of the city and the country to ensure the public is abiding.
Kampala, the eye of the country looks clean of taxis, buses and boda bodas. But how sure are we the same is being respected in the other cities and towns?
The police leadership have a huge duty to play to ensure they heal the population of the Entebbe Airport mess and rid the country of this coronavirus which found its way into the country due to their negligence.
And the nation will not forgive them for the shoddy job they exhibited when they were supposed to protect them as required of them by the country’s constitution.
These are times police ought to have illustrated their might. Severally, you are faced with a crowd calling for the military or army for protection.
Counter terrorism can be singled out for their attention to detail. They have exhibited that. But the lows for the force are the ordinary officers whose concentration levels do not measure up when tasked with the duty.
Could it be a professional issue? What about their supervisors? Are they suited for the job?
This coronavirus task at Entebbe Airport presented the best possible opportunity for one to rise but it came down crashing on the heads of the police heads and officers deployed.
Largely, tainting the face of the force!
Award winning journalist and writer who has worked as a stringer for a couple of acclaimed South Africa based German journalists, covered 3 Ugandan elections, 2008 Kenya election crisis, with interests in business and sports reporting.
