By BarefootLawyers.
For as long as Kiggundu can remember, he has been allergic to injections. In fact, every time he has fallen sick, he has only taken tablets because he swells up when he is pierced by needles or even cut with a razor blade or a knife.
Recently, he got an invitation to leave Uganda for a week ‘all expenses paid” trip to Dubai but he was stopped at the airport when he showed up to board the plane because he did not have a yellow fever card. Kiggundu explained to them that he is allergic to injections and asked for ‘yellow fever’ tablets so that he can go on his trip, but they did not have them, so he missed the flight. As we speak, Kiggundu is depressed at home and wants to know if he can sue the airport people for making him miss his trip.
WHAT DOES THE LAW SAY?
By law, (the Constitution), every person has freedom of movement. Freedom of movement means that you have the right to go wherever you want to, like moving around your house, neighborhood, different parts of the country or even other countries one place without anyone stopping you.
However, you cannot enjoy your right to move anywhere by putting other people at risk. That is why you cannot enter your neighbour’s compound without permission because you claim to have freedom of movement (you may be arrested for trespassing). Similarly, different countries also want to protect their people against certain diseases and to know who is coming in and who is leaving. So, these countries may ask that you show proof that you have got treatment for these diseases or have got a vaccine so that you are not a danger/risk to anyone else.
If these are the rules that are in place at an airport or border, then you must obey them for the wellbeing of other people. It does not mean that your freedom of movement has been denied to you. If you do not like the rules of a particular country, you are free to refuse those rules, but remember that they are also free to deny you entry into their country to protect the people who are there.
📷: Daily Monitor
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