This footage was filmed and produced 1 July 2021.

Uganda has reimposed a 42-day lockdown as coronavirus infections surge in the East African country. President Yoweri Museveni said in his Friday night address that he was tired of receiving calls about deaths, but critics say he presented a wish list that would instead worsen the situation for Ugandans.

The video shows traders struggling during the lockdown.

Interviews:

1) Henry The mobilizer boda boda industry
We are in a critical situation and therefore I am glad to see you, journalists, becuase you are making sure
our voicea are heard. For instance, because of this interdistrict lockdown on transportation we can’t
move our sick people, we can’t go to collect food from the village both for us and our customers. I
also think that for us the boda boda guys it should be allowed to move, since we have been like ambulances transporting the sick from all the remote areas, where cars cannot move. Hence the boda boda shouldn’t be restricted. Thirdly, the government should coordinate with boda boda associations like city boda and safe boda, work hand in hand with them to help us the riders, because I believe by Monday next week, we are going to register deaths of boda boda riders due to this critical situation. Personally I put in my boda boda as collateral so that i could get a loan, my load percentage is growing yet i am not working towards paying and clearing my loan, which means we are most likely to lose everything since there is no family without Covid 19. In my family I am the father, the eldest son, who has to look for something to eat, and I don’t believe in theft to earn a living. So am going to go against the curfew time come what may.

2)The old lady
I hustle and work from here in the old taxi park in the normal days, but now in this situation, I have no
money for anything. I can’t even pay rent to my landlord, who wants his money on time. I wonder where
I am expected to get this money from. I don’t sale anything, I can’t even afford simple food now and on
top of that, I have not paid rent for two months now. I don’t have a penny, I am a low income earner,
yet I still cannot find any other job for now.

3) Damulira Hamidu
I am by name Damulira Hamidu, The situation in the city is visible and evident. Shop, arcades and all
business are in lockdown. People have lost direction as you can see, the rest are just seated left with
no option but depression. The leaders have said we should stay home. We actually are not fine at all but we are supposed to adopt and adjust with the tough times. God knows best! We are supposed to be home but we all know it’s hard to be home with nothing to eat, hence I try my luck by moving around in town where someone might bless me with two thousand Ugandan shillings and I could get a meal for the day. Those of you who can help us, please do. We are badly of, as you can see we have lost sense of direction. Look closely in the city you will understand what I am saying.

4) After lock down, landlords can not let the traders to get out their commodities out of the shops without
clearing rent. However, we have not been working, we don’t know if we are in lockdown for only 42 days, or we are going to be like that until December, like it was last year. But the landlords have locked us out. They don’t want us to take our staffs because they want money after lockdown for shop space.