The MTN Uganda Chief Executive Officer, Mr Wim Vanhellepute has handed over 3 brand new Nissan Hardbody pickups to the National COVID-19 task force.
The donation comes after President Museveni noted that he wanted big companies to donate cars instead of free airtime among other offers.
“Our CEO, Wim, has handed over 3 brand new Nissan Hardbody pickups to H.E. The President, The Prime Minister and the National COVID task force,” the telecom company posted on their social media platform, adding: “Together with the UGX equivalent of pick ups, MTN contributed UGX 220m to NWSC and UGX 297m to Red Cross. This is to help in the fight against COVID-19 now in excess of UGX 1bn.”
Museveni hails benefactors
President Museveni during a brief ceremony at Kololo hailed those who made the donations for standing with Ugandans in this war-like time.
The president hinted at some new measures aimed at dealing with the new infections, especially among truck drivers.
The president also announced that the Minister of Health Ms Jane Ruth Aceng is currently in a meeting with her East African colleagues to discuss measures of managing the pandemic.
Among the measures, the president said that truck crews will be tested and kept at the border as they wait for results.
He also said that he had instructed the Minister to inform the colleagues about the option of switching crews.
This means that a truck will be driven up to the border of Uganda and then a Kenyan/Tanzania driver will stay in their country as their Ugandan counterparts take over and vice versa.
Meanwhile, the president said that he now targets 1350 vehicles in this drive to put up a fleet that will be used by the ministry of health in managing emergencies even after COVID-19.
The minister of state for health in charge of general duties Robinah Nabbanja said that the new districts and regional referral hospitals have been considered to benefit first.