President orders 30-day shutdown to ‘deny’ virus access to varsity crowds
Uganda has followed many other countries and shut its universities due to the global novel coronavirus pandemic.
On 18 March President Yoweri Museveni ordered all universities to shut for 30 days. According to the directive, all students had only until midday on 20 March to vacate university premises.
“All these institutions, without exception, should close so that we deny this virus those concentrations,” said Museveni in an address.
Makerere University, the country’s top research institution, said in a statement that research will continue but should comply with guidelines to prevent Covid-19 from spreading. On 24 March Makerere announced on Twitter that postgraduates and academic staff affiliated to hospitals will remain on duty.