By Dr. Patricia Achan Okiria

The Government of Uganda announced a 14- day lockdown of the country as part of the measures to address the COVID-19 pandemic. Following the national directive, as citizens continue to follow, with increasing apprehension, the spread of the COVID-19 in Uganda and the response of the State to the pandemic.

The COVID-19 and the resulting restrictions on movement has generated considerable anxiety and uncertainty for many Ugandans. The UHRC supports and embraces the measures and have made efforts to ensure continuity as far as possible. Our commitment is driven by the long term goal of ensuring the advancement of the protection of human rights through complaints handling, awareness creation, education and research on human rights issues in the Country.

According to the 1995 Constitution particularly Article 22 on the protection of the right to life in light of the danger that the spread of coronavirus poses to the health, safety and lives of the people of Uganda and thereby threatening the rights to life, health and safety. The transmission of COVID-19 therefore has graver risk to the health and life of vulnerable sections of society including, among others, old people, persons with disabilities, and people with weak immunity due to underlying health conditions.

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Published: April 8, 2020