The minister of Health, Dr Jane Ruth Aceng will not resign but says she regrets the Lira incident, in which she was captured on camera interacting with residents without a face mask.
Aceng who has spearheaded the country’s fight against the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, told journalists at parliament shortly after her interface with the parliamentary committee of health that she has learnt her lesson after the Lira incident last.
Aceng who has spearheaded the country’s fight against the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, told journalists at parliament shortly after her interface with the parliamentary committee of health that she has learnt her lesson after the Lira incident last.
Although she still maintains her innocence, insisting that she did nothing wrong, Aceng says she has now learnt that next time she will have to prepare better before meeting any other group of people.
Aceng has received severe criticism from different sections of the public for flouting her own coronavirus disease preventive guidelines which include observing social distancing of 2 metres between persons, wearing a face mask while in public among others. Her critics took to social media to claim that the minister was sending a coded message that extent of coronavirus in the country had been exaggerated for financial and political reasons.
In the video shared on social media, the minister is seen taking part in a political procession with a group of women singing and waving tree branches and leaves in support for her candidature.
In the video shared on social media, the minister is seen taking part in a political procession with a group of women singing and waving tree branches and leaves in support for her candidature.
Aceng recently declared that she will contest for the Lira Woman MP seat in the forthcoming 2021 general election. Asked whether she would heed to public calls to resign following the incident, Aceng said she will not because the crowd was just excited to see her and forgot about social distancing guidelines.
"I have clearly told you that it is a lesson I have learnt, that before, you move out anywhere you, need to have prepared the area adequately. I’m not saying that it should have happened anyway. No, am saying we need to prepare early. Now if the electoral roadmap is out and people are going into campaigns before you move out to any district, any constituency or any sub-county, they need to be prepared early and adequately and you only need to go to that targeted area." said Aceng.
In regard to the example she is setting for other political players as the country prepares for the 2021 general election, Aceng said it was a good lesson for her knowing that moving into the political arena, she will be faced with such scenarios from time to time.
“Yes the women received me, they were so happy…their daughter…that is my home area and immediately I disembarked they were so excited. I told them please put down the leaves…no, no, no. It took a lot to convince them to sit down. So as I said before, that is a lesson for me. So I have to prepare before I have to go out to people who are happy to see their daughter,” said Aceng.
@JaneRuth_Aceng's Compaign in lira, Where is social distancing even most of the women's, granny's don't have masks 🤔 Presidential directives @DianaAtwine @MinofHealthUG
— YAGALIZA OFUNNE (@KKarim02) July 12, 2020
Are we a joke to u pic.twitter.com/GRygaUUEBx
The minister, however, said that it is important that political leaders pass on messages very clearly to the population that this is not the time for gathering or crowding.
Aceng also noted that they need to be very tactful in ensuring that they engage only the required numbers of people as per the standard operating procedures (SOPs). She said that these SOPs are being worked on by the Electoral Commission (EC) and that it does not allow gatherings of more than 50 to 70 people.
"You can do that comfortably if they sit down and they are listening - all the political people will have to adhere to those SOPs. Engaging people through social media and other online innovation ways of reaching out to the population. You can have recorded messages get around in form of trucks, you can have messages sent out using the megaphones and you can have other means of reaching out to the households using the VHTs and the local councils
In her previous statement, Aceng said that she was not holding a political rally but rather distributing mosquito nets and face masks. Aceng is among the three ministers that the speaker of parliament Rebecca Kadaga on Tuesday summoned following accusations that they had flouted the COVID-19 preventive procedures. The others are the state minister for Microfinance Haruna Kasolo and the state minister for Kampala Benny Namugwanya.
They are all accused of holding meetings without observing physical distancing and other standard operating procedures like wearing masks. The ministers are expected to appear on the floor of parliament and explain themselves in line with the accusations from fellow legislators.