Unvaccinated MPs will be denied access to the country’s parliament building beginning today, Ug Mirror reports.
In an October 29 letter addressed to all the 529 Members of Parliament, staff and the public, Mr Henry Yoweri Waiswa, the deputy clerk to Parliament, said the move is to ramp up uptake of Covid-19 vaccines in line with a presidential guidance.
Deputy Speaker Anita Among said the move is to “demonstrate a good example in support of the government’s public health policy”.
“The Office of the Speaker [of Parliament] is in agreement with the President’s observation and in the communication of the Rt Hon Deputy Speaker (Anita Among) at the sitting of Parliament on Thursday, October 28, 2021, she gave a directive that access to the precincts of Parliament should be restricted to only Members of Parliament, staff and visitors that will show proof of vaccination against Covid-19,” Mr Waiswa noted in his letter.
He added: “Honourable Members and staff, in line with the Rt Hon Deputy Speaker’s directive, therefore, you are hereby informed that with effect from Monday, November 1, 2021 (today), access to the parliamentary precincts will be restricted to ONLY those that have been vaccinated against Covid-19. By copy of this letter, the Sergeant-at-Arms is directed to work with the Division Police Commander – Parliamentary Police, to enforce these guidelines.”
Parliament becomes the third state institution to ban non-vaccinated people following similar moves by the Ministry of Health and the government-run National Medical Stores.
President Yoweri Museveni said last week that many Ugandans were hesitant to get the jab but expressed hope that some 12million residents would be vaccinated by the end of December.
As of now, 3,084,483 doses of COVID 19 Vaccine have been administered.