More Ugandans return home today

More Ugandans who had been stranded abroad over global Coronavirus-induced lockdown return home today.
Mr Patrick Mugoya, the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs says over 400 Ugandans returned home yesterday aboard flights from South Africa, UK, Eswatini and Italy.

Notable among those who returned home yesterday is Acholi paramount chief, Rwot David Onen Acana II and Professor Francis Omaswa.

The ones from India and the United Arab Emirates will take off today and tomorrow respectively.
This is after the ministry released a repatriation schedule for Ugandans and non-Ugandan resident permit holders stuck abroad.
“The schedule is based on readiness of the people abroad and the capacity of quarantine centers in the country to determine the number that should be returned in a given period of time,” Mr Mugoya said.
It focuses on people from six countries and time lag of Thursday to Saturday from the said countries.

Earlier, Foreign affairs Minister Sam Kuteesa called on parliament to fully support the Ministry of Health, the other frontline agencies and his Ministry to arrange for an orderly and safe return of Ugandans stranded abroad.

Mr Kuteesa made the appeal while updating the House on the ongoing repatriation of Ugandans who had been stuck abroad due to the COVID-19 pandemic, after clearance of the return of over 24,000 of them.
Mr Kuteesa says for government to succeed in safely returning nationals stranded abroad, there is need for adequate preparation for the exercise.

The foreign affairs spokesperson, Mr Alfred Nnam, said Thursday that government expects to have received nine batches of returnees by the end of the week.
“The two additional airlines which will be arriving on Friday (today) are Fly Dubai from United Arab Emirates (U.A.E) with 291 Ugandans and on July 4, a second flight from New Delhi India will bring 150 Ugandans” he said.
Mr Nnam said by the end of the week, 853 Ugandans would have returned home aboard the nine flights.

He said some of the returnees who had been quarantined have been released and sent back to their homes by the ministry of health after completing the mandatory quarantine period.
Mr Cornwell Mulewa the C.E.O Uganda airlines said the national carrier will continue being part of the repatriation operations for Ugandans affected by the COvid-19 outbreak across the continent.