Coronavirus: MP Akol Ordered out of Parliament Chambers

Speaker Rebecca Kadaga on Thursday asked Kilak North MP Anthony Akol (Kilak North) to exit the parliament chambers after it emerged that he had just returned from South Korea and did not go through the mandatory 14day self-quarantine.

Kadaga’s directive followed a complaint raised by Elijah Okupa (Kasilo County) who wondered why Parliament was continuing to entertain the presence of Akol after publically admitting to having made a trip to coronavirus ravaged South Korea.

This was after Akol watered down claims that the Ministry of Health is screening all individuals from coronavirus ravaged countries upon reaching Entebbe Airport and subjected to 14 day self-quarantine, saying that he had returned from South Korea and was neither screened nor isolated.

“The first travel I made was South Korea then again I went to South Africa I came back on the 5th March 2020. When I travelled every airport they are testing, but every time I come to Uganda, there is nothing like testing people entering, even on the 5th March there was nothing like screening of people coming in. Is the Minister in order to tell the House that they are doing enough screening,” said Akol.

But his mention of South Korea sent shock waves among fellow MPs who showed discomfort.

“The Member (Akol) has just told us that he returned on the 5th March, it isn’t 14days since that time because people at the airport are told self-isolation is it in order to continue having him in the House when the mandatory 14days haven’t elapsed when he came from South Korea and could be infected,” Okupa said.

Immediately, Kadaga ordered  Akol to leave the chambers saying, “South Korea is one of those countries which have been having a big epidemic and Akol if you have come from there, please exit the chambers. Please go for self-quarantine. You first go and establish from the Clerk how you moved.”

The Korea Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) noted that as at March 12th 2020, South Korea reported 114 new cases of the coronavirus and six more deaths, bringing the country’s total coronavirus cases to 7,869, with 66 deaths.

During the sitting, Kadaga also warned MPs against making trips outside Uganda but only travel if it is necessary, saying the coronavirus pandemic is ravaging the world. Kadaga also informed MPs that the meeting for the inter-parliamentary Union and Russian Federation Parliament slated for June this year have been cancelled due to the coronavirus outbreak.