Kenya repatriates to Uganda over 1,600 fleeing Congolese refugees

Kenyan on Tuesday handed over a group of 300 Congolese asylum seekers to Ugandan authorities for onward management.
They were received at King George Memorial Stadium in Tororo town by officials the Office of the Prime Minister and the United Nations High Commission for Refugees officials in Uganda. 

The 300 asylum seekers are part of the 1,607 Congolese registered refugees in Uganda who spontaneously left Uganda to Kenya due to food ration reduction by World Food Programme, hoping that they would get higher ration in Kenya. Kenyan authorities, however, declined to admit them on grounds that they were already registered and recognized in Uganda.

According to the assistant protection officer in the Office of Prime Minister, Mr John Paul Magezi, the refugees will be relocated to Rwamwanja refugee camp in Kamwenge District where they were registered from.
According to him, they will be repatriated in four groups and subsequently resettled in their former camps, such as Kyaka II refugee settlement in Kyegegwa District, Nakivale refugee camp in Isingiro District and Palorinya refugee camp in Moyo District.

Magezi told journalists that the refugees were traced through partnership between the two neighboring countries. Most of them were reportedly found stranded on the streets of Kenyan towns and assembled at Kitale show grounds.
Some of them had turned into street vendors but they were rounded up by Kenyan authorities.

"We appreciate our sister country for giving protection to the asylum seekers and putting in resources to cater for their welfare for the entire time they have been at the temporary refugee camp," said Magezi.
He said the repatriation arrangement is supposed to run up to June 16, 2023 when the last group is expected arrive in Uganda.