By Spy Uganda
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Uganda Airlines have repatriated the sixth group of Ugandans who were stranded in South Africa as a result of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) lockdown that was announced by President Yoweri Museveni in March this year.
The 71 Ugandans who include those from South Africa and Zambia, landed last night at Entebbe International Airport aboard Uganda Airlines Boeing UR333.
Uganda Airlines announced Thursday that Bombardier UR333 had departed Entebbe to Johannesburg South Africa and Lusaka Zambia to repatriate stranded Ugandans.
They were seen off from Pretoria by officials of the Uganda High Commission in Pretoria and former Chief Justice, Benjamin Odoki, who flagged off the convoy of Ugandans who were stranded in South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia and Eswatini.
At Entebbe Airport, the Ugandans were received by officials from the Ministry of Health and Ambassador Alfred Nam from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
We have since established that all the returnees have been booked into the various quarantine centres that they were assigned to by the Ministry of Health while processing their return to Uganda.
However, despite the 71 Ugandans who arrived on Thursday night, there are several other Ugandans still stranded in Southern Africa and the Ministry of Health is yet to announce the next flight to repatriate them.
Thousands of Ugandans are stuck in Europe, Asia, USA and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) following the suspension of passenger flights at Entebbe Airport that President Museveni issued in March as one of the directives to help in the fight against the spread of COVID-19.
It should be noted that the COVID-19 cumulative total confirmed cases of Ugandans are now 902, with 847 recoveries and no death recorded.
