Govt calls for more, fetches shs21b in donations for COVID-19 fight

President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has so far addressed the nation on COVID-19 for a record 13th times.

Each and every time he appears on national television, he doesn’t forget to appeal to well-wishers to contribute to the National Task Force on COVID-19 which is managing the National Response Fund on COVID-19.

However, on Monday 4 May 2020, in his 13th Address to the Nation, he did’t asked for more donations nor did he read names of donors.

Actually, much as the country has realised donations of all tribes ranging from bunches of matooke, metric tonnes of beans, posho and litres of cooking oil, among others. Also, the President has been very passionate about heavy duty vehicles.

In a Tweet on Sunday evening by Ms Linda Nabusayi Wamboka, the deputy Presidential Press Secretary, quoting the chairman of the National Response Fund on COVID 19, Mr Emmanuel Katongole, the country has received so far 21b shillings in both cash and pledged donations.  

In the same Tweet, Ms Nabusayi announced that the President has through his wife Janet Muveneni contributed shillings 1.4m, part of his monthly salary, to the national taskforce and will continue to do so until the Coronavirus Pandemic is wiped out.

In his last and latest address to the nation, Mr. Museveni declared that he would donate half of his monthly salary of shs3.6m.

According to Mr Museveni, the NRM party, which he founded, also takes 20 percent of his salary every month.

In the same Tweet, the President’s deputy press secretary says the President is appealing to other civil servants to emulate “his good will and surrender a portion of their public service earnings” to help the nation combat the COVID-19 pandemic.