The government of Uganda under the ministry of trade and ministry of Kampala  will re-open two arcades in downtown Kampala as part of a Litmus study on the effectiveness of implementing Covid-19 safety guidelines.

In his recent address to the nation on the Covid-19 situation, President Museveni directed the minister for Kampala Betty Amongi to work with the Health ministry to see how arcades can reopen as the country continues to battle Covid-19 pandemic.

In line with the President’s directive, Amongi and Amelia Kyambadde, the minister for Trade and Industry, toured a number of shopping arcades in the city centre.

Amongi said the outcome of this litmus study will inform whether to have business resume in most of downtown Kampala.

The two ministers and Dr. Monica Musenero, the Presidential advisor on Covid-19, toured Mutaasa Kafeero arcade and Park View arcade which are best known for housing phone dealerships. They all decided to use these as the Litmus study arcades for the effectiveness of government guidelines against Covid-19. 

Some of the facilities examined at the arcades included toilets, emergency exits among others which are critical for maintaining health guidelines on Covid-19

“The president directed that myself and Hon Amelia and his technical team of scientific advisors inspect the arcades and come up with scientific measures on how to allow them to operate,”she said.

Dr. Musenero said there is need to observe the standard operating procedures.

She said only two floors, on each of the two arcades, will be allowed to operate so that the authorities are able to monitor the situation.

“You need to make some changes before the reopening and the changes include coming up with the innovation to improve the ventilation, we need to be sure of the numbers of people who are going to be in the arcades,”she said.

After the tour, a committee was formed comprising landlords of the two arcades and two tenants.

It was agreed between the minister’s and the landlord’s that the number of traders sharing shops will be reduced to half in order to observe social distancing and other precautionary measures aimed at fighting the pandemic.