Aboneka Writes

I salute the Ministry of Health for the efforts so far in as far as managing the Corona Pandemic and providing timely information to the general public. The President on March 18th, 2020 delivered a speech on the Country's position on the Corona Pandemic and stated several what he termed as strategies. Below are issues that are still hanging in the balance: 1. Is the Speech legally enforceable? The President made a speech on Wednesday 17:00hrs and this was one of the shortest speeches in history I have observed. Th Speech had consequential orders and I am wondering how they will legally be enforceable. I don’t think Presidential orders from a speech are legally biding. There needs a legal process by a Minister tabling or exercising her powers under the Public Health Act by first making a statutory order of the Corona to be brought under the Public Health Act and then make a special Statutory Instrument detailing the rules and their sanctions. As it stands, what will be t

The President has so far had four addresses of which he progressively issues new directives to the public. I have been part of those challenging the legality of the directives in the absence of the Statutory Instrument by the Minister of Health. We kept pushing until the Statutory Instrument were issued on 24th March 2020. Will these act retrospectively? Those who ere arrested for defying the directives before the issuance of the Statutory Instrument by the Minister on Mach 24th 2020, what was the basis for their arrests? Isn't this an an infringement of rights and a rape on rule of law especially Article 28 of our Constitution that bars any arrest of individuals in absence of any law demanding so? Secondly, I have seen security agencies beat up people in Mityana, Busia and other parts of the country in the name of enforcing the directives. This is illegal and a violation of human rights as there is no law subjecting "offenders" to corporal punishment and the security