The president of Uganda, Yoweri Museveni, has postponed the 2021 general elections to 2023 due to the outbreak of Coronavirus also known as COVID-19.

President Museveni stated this in a press conference at the Uganda’s State House, adding that the government cannot risk the lives of millions of Ugandans during this particular dire situation.

His words: “The lives of Ugandans are very important more than anything else, I have consulted with my ministers and we find it reasonable to suspend elections till 2023.

“All candidates must now suspend their campaigns and stay indoors, this will protect our people. Elections will come and go, but we must protect lives”.

According to Kenya Times, Uganda has restricted visitors from some countries with what it terms high cases of Coronavirus, including China, France, Germany, Iran, Italy, South Korea, and Spain.

However, the countries Minister of Health, Jane Ruth Aceng in a statement last week said “Government has decided to ask travelers from the affected countries not to come to Uganda because the high cases they are reporting can easily be imported into the country”.

A revised advisory released Wednesday by the Health Ministry increased the number of high-risk countries from 7 to 16, including the United States and the UK. The other countries include the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Austria, and Malaysia. In the new statement, travelers from these countries are urged to consider “postponing non-essential travel to Uganda.”

Aceng said those who insist on visiting the nation from these countries would have to self-quarantine at their own cost for 14 days either at home or at a government facility. Ugandans in affected countries are not exempted from the travel restriction.

The Health Minister also the country has postponed the 2020 United Nations G77 and China Summit scheduled for mid-April in Kampala, the nation’s capital due to the Coronavirus threat.

Source : paradisenews