Angry residents in Kayunga district stormed the district National Resistance Movement (NRM) office on Sunday demanding that the government gives them food to take them through the lockdown.
Over 200 residents comprising of the elderly, disabled, youth, breastfeeding mothers, and children camped at the office located on the main street of Kayunga Town, while chanting, “we want food” bringing traffic flow and business in the area to a standstill.
It should be noted that residents Kayunga and other districts countrywide were not listed among the beneficiaries of the Covid-19 relief cash of Shs100,000 since the relief mainly catered for people whose jobs have been affected by the lockdown, and are living in urban cities and municipalities.
“It is the responsibility of government to ensure that its citizens have food to eat but we are surprised that nothing has been done for us,” Joyce Katwalo, one of the residents complained.
The angry residents also faulted their leaders, including Members of Parliament and local leaders for failing to extend relief aid to them.
Mr. Moses Karangwa, the district NRM chairman was compelled to save the situation when he hurriedly drove to Jinja Town and brought 15 tonnes of maize flour and rice, which were distributed to the residents.
There was a scramble among residents as each struggled to have a share of the relief food.
Mr Karangwa, later asked residents in the district with a capacity to donate food, to come through in order to save their counterparts from starvation.
He promised to donate food items to residents in major trading centres in the district.
Mr. Amos Lugoloobi, the Ntenjeru North MP and state minister for finance and planning said he has no plan to donate food to hungry residents in his area because he has just assumed his ministerial office and does not have the money to do so.
“Last time, the lockdown found us when we had made some savings but right now we have no money to buy food for our hungry residents,” Mr Lugoloobi said.
“I advise residents to engage in farming so that they can get food because this pandemic is not going away anytime soon,” he added.
Mr Charles Tebandeke, the Bbaale County MP said residents were right to demand food, but said they do not have the capacity to feed them at the moment. He, however, promised to task the government to come to the rescue of starving residents.
Additionally, Mr. Joel Kayiira, the acting district chairperson said they do not have any arrangement to distribute food to vulnerable residents, explaining that they also lack funds to sensitize and mobilize the residents to safeguard against the Covid-19 pandemic.
