President Yoweri Museveni has said very soon every Ugandan maybe required to wear a mask as one of the COVID-19 preventive measures.
The President made the remarks while ‘officiating’ at the International Workers Day celebrations at State House Entebbe. This event was supposed to happen in Mbarara, but due to prevailing situations, Museveni said Uganda opted for ‘scientific’ Labour Day celebrations.
“Very soon we may require everyone to wear a mask. Local manufacturers are already making them for instance Nytil, Fine Spinners,” Museveni said.
The President encouraged employers not to lay off workers.
“Laying off workers is not a good idea. Things are going to improve. Why lay off? Rather send on leave and recall when the situation normalizes because you have not been working,” he said.
Museveni also said Uganda is safer than ever before.
“A lot of people have now seen that Uganda is a safe place. I have never been to a place in this world that is better than Uganda. Those who like to travel, what exactly are you looking for?” Museveni said.
He also emphasized the need to pay scientists very well.
“If you want our country to stabilize, let’s first stabilize our scientists. These people can do so many things and this gives me a lot of happiness,” he said.
He also called for establishment of import substitution industries.
“On human need of shelter, we don’t import cement anymore. We make some steel bars ourselves using recycled steel. But this doesn’t meet some standards. We must now make fresh steel, mix it with alloys. Immense opportunities lay here,” he said.
He added that where there is war or a pandemic, there’s need for food.
“There is a lot of potential in food production & value addition. Milk is being processed & exported to USA, cassava is processed into tablets,” he said, adding: “We manufacture sugar but import industrial-pharmaceutical grade sugar, explaining high cost of medicines/tablets. Value-addition here would save us a lot of expenditures.”
