Finance, Planning and Economic Development Minister, Matiya Kasaija, has attributed the delay in facemask distribution across the country to the low production capacity among Ugandan manufacturers.
Presiding over the dispatch of facemasks to Kibaale District at the district headquarters in Kibaale Town Council today (Thursday), the minister said government awarded facemask tenders to Ugandan manufacturers in promotion of the Buy Uganda Build Uganda (BUBU) policy little knowing that they had a limited production capacity.
Such a miscalculation prompted Mr Kasaija to apologise to Ugandans emphasising that government is committed to distributing the protective gears to all eligible people in the country so they can guard against COVID-19.
Mr Kasaija reminded people that COVID-19 is ubiquitous warning against unnecessary movements lest they catch the deadly virus.
The minister warned stakeholders against politicising the facemasks advising that they must be distributed freely without any sort of discrimination based on any differences.
Government through the Ministry of Health dispatched a batch of 156,699 facemasks to Kibaale district.
Speakin at the same function, the Kibaale Resident District Commissioner, Ms Deborah Mbabazi, said everybody from six years and above will receive a facemask to fight against corona virus.
Leaders from Bubango and Nyamarunda among other sub-counties urged people to wear the facemasks properly so they can guard against COVID-19.
The facemasks will be distributed to the residents tomorrow (Friday), August 28, 2020.
