President Yoweri Museveni on Thursday went into isolation after testing positive for COVID-19.
The President on Wednesday after giving a State of the Nation address noted that he may have contracted COVID, saying in the morning he had felt a slight cold, prompting him to request COVID tests.
He said two of three tests he had done were negative, and he was waiting for the outcome of another.
“So I am a suspect of corona and I am standing here. That is why you saw me coming in separate cars with Mama,” Museveni said, referring to the First Lady Janet Museveni, who accompanied him to parliament.
On Thursday, the President in a tweet said that one of the tests he did came out positive.
“… on Tuesday, I started experiencing mild flu-like symptoms. I ignored the feeling and had my meetings in Entebbe as well as working on my voluminous State of the Nation Address,” Museveni said.
“Yesterday morning, however, I noticed some mild flu-like symptoms in one of the nostrils (the right one). That is when I called my doctors to take samples and rule out Corona. They took three samples- one rapid and two PCRs. The rapid one was negative and so was one of the PCRs”
“However, one of the PCRs was positive. Taking precautionary measures, I traveled to Kololo, with a separate car from Maama’s car as the samples were taken back for reconfirmation. When I came back from Kololo, it was confirmed that I had Corona,” he added.
As such, Museveni has deleted Rt Hon Robinah Nabbanja to carry on with the roles and office of the President.
“I have therefore, self-isolated at Nakasero and I have delegated my work for today and tomorrow (Heroes’ Day in Luwero) to Prime Minister, Robinah Nabanja,” revealed the President.
“As everybody knows, I have been very cautious with Corona. However, recently, I had to give up masks because they have been causing me allergic reactions in the eyes and also in the throat. Do you remember when I lost my voice twice during the elections? That is part of the allergy,” Museveni said.
He said he is now having a second forced leave in the last 53 years, ever since 1971, when he started fighting Idi Amin. Museveni noted that the other time, was when he had a problem of sinuses and I had to lie low for some days at Mweya.
At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Uganda had among Africa’s toughest containment measures that included curfews, businesses and school closures, the shutting of borders and other steps.
It fully reopened in February 2022.
During the pandemic, Museveni, who is vaccinated against COVID, was always been seen in public wearing a mask and has always conducted his official duties while social distancing and would often be seen seated alone in a tent on the lawn of his office when meeting visitors.