Dealing with COVID-19 in Africa - Culture and homegrown approach, social enterprises, human rights, and country-related issues
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Date
2020-07
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Publisher
Research at the University of York St John
Abstract
The securitisation theory has been used variably to explain global affairs. However, in securitisation literature, the ‘audience’ remains under-researched, often treated as passive and without agency. The Coronavirus, which hit the entire
globe in unprecedented ways, has put different types of governments and leaders to the test. Countries around the world are experiencing or experienced either partial or total lockdowns to curb the spread of the virus which saw infections in the
millions and deaths in the hundreds of thousands. The government of Uganda, in particular, opted for a total lockdown, with only essential services allowed to operate. Between mid-March and July 2020, President Yoweri Museveni had addressed the nation 16 times, including a state of nation address where he reiterated the lockdown restrictions and guidelines for citizens. At the beginning of the lockdown, Museveni instituted state security machinery to make sure the guidelines were strictly followed. In this paper, I will argue that in Uganda, COVID19, a public health issue, was co-constructed as an existential security threat that inspired motivation and drew animosity from different publics (audiences), with public trust gaining and waning. Governing this animus became the preoccupation of Museveni’s government during the lockdown, putting him at the center stage
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Keywords
Securitisation, trust, COVID-19, publics, Uganda