Museveni Rubbishes Mediation Talk as he Launches COVID-19 Drug

President Museveni has rubbished suggestions of mediation between him and the Opposition.

“Imagine some people have been coming here that they want to mediate between me and the Opposition. Mediate what? I do not want any mediation. Everybody knows my address, I know the address of these Opposition people. I can drive there and we talk. We do not need any mediation. It’s an insult to tell me mediation,” President Museveni said while launching the natural Covid-19 treatment clinical trials in Kampala.

The trial will involve 128 COVID-19 patients admitted at the Mulago National Referral Hospital.

The drug, a natural chemotherapeutic product developed by the Natural Chemotherapeutics Research Institute has undergone a series of vigorous scientific approvals, according to the presidential think tank on epidemics.

“We are witnessing the first clinical trial of a highly scientific process to analyze and validate a natural product anticipated to have antiviral, anti-inflammatory, and immunological ability,” the president said.

“The clinical trial will validate the content, standardization and replication of the product after which it will be rolled out for industrial production and widespread use,” the statement added.

The think tank said the drug, coded UBV-01N, will be the first Ugandan natural chemotherapeutic product to go through an international level clinical trial process.

Uganda is grappling with the COVID-19 pandemic with cases quickly surging. Ministry of health figures show that as of Jan. 25, the country had a cumulative total of 39,261 COVID-19 cases, 14,051 recoveries, and 318 deaths since the first case was registered in March 2020.

Mr Museveni also preached self-reliance, adding that the country should not wait for foreigners to solve problems.

“Uganda now we defend ourselves in areas where I have been active. I make sure of self-sufficiency.  Uganda is not defended by the UN. I cannot allow UN to come to Uganda to defend us because what are you for? If you cannot defend yourselves what are you for? So we are self-sufficient in defence. This region is full of chaos but we are here, nobody can touch us because we are confident we can defend ourselves against external threats and internal disruptions,” the President said.