By Mulengera Reporters
City tycoon Hamis Kiggundu, who is among those not ashamed of being associated with the ruling NRM party, has enthusiastically responded to the call his idol President YK Museveni made last night by driving to OPM this Saturday morning where he handed over a cash contribution of Shs100m.
Accompanied by his aides, Kiggundu handed over the cash to Prime Minister Ruhakana Rugunda who was flanked by OPM PS Christine Kintu Guwatudde. At the same time, Rugunda also flagged off trucks ferrying relief food and other groceries to families of the urban poor whose livelihood has been crippled as a result of the restrictive measures the President imposed (constraining business operations) as part of the country’s broader COVID-19 response.
During his televised address last night, as he updated the country about the anti-COVID operations, Museveni reached out to all rich people in Uganda calling on them to stand in solidarity with the government by logistically contributing whatever they can to ensure greater success is achieved. He argued that expeditiously overcoming the pandemic will be good for everybody because the restrictions will then get lifted for people to resume normal business operations.
And just hours after the President’s address, Hamis Kiggundu (known to be sufficiently well liquidated and not among the kiwaani city tycoons who are only good at too much talk without corresponding action) swung into action and delivered his cash-and not even pledges like many of the sham tycoons will be doing in the coming days just to get media publicity while duping the President.
Hamis said that contributing Shs100m was the least he could do to boost the economically vulnerable in a city where he has always traded and made all the wealth he has to his name. Amiable as ever, a very relaxed Rugunda commended him and urged other Ugandan tycoons to emulate his example and do as the President requested (which is to bring whatever logistical contributions they can to strengthen efforts by the Health Ministry to sustainably break the spread of the Coronavirus pandemic).
TANA DOES IT TOO
In a related development, Sanjay Tana, another NRM-leaning businessman, has this same Saturday morning extended logistical support to medical teams in far Eastern Ugandan towns by donating stuff worth Shs25m. The towns included Mbale, Sironko, Kapchorwa, Manafwa, Bududa, Kumi, Pallisa, Budaka, Butaleja, Tororo, Buisia, Soroti and Bugiri.
Saying medics have been running away from hospitals because of the inadequate availability of essential supplies, Sanjay Tana (through his agents acting on behalf of the Sanjay Tana Foundation & Family) handed over protective gear, PPE suits, masks, gloves, head cover, foot covers, eye glasses and hand sanitizer, hand washing tanks and washing soap.
He thanked the President and Health Minister Jane Ruth Aceng saying that the least his business Group can do is to contribute the supplies worth Shs25m to boost the morale of the health workers doing the frontline work.
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