{UAH} 90 UGANDANS MISS REPATRIATION FROM RWANDA

90 Ugandans miss repatriation from Rwanda

By Job Namanya

Added 27th September 2020 06:04 PM

The exercise was done successfully and the remaining exercise was for health officials to deal with the returnees.

Some of the Ugandans who been repatriated from outside. Courtesy photo

 

A total of 90 Ugandans who had registered at the High commission of Uganda in Kigali have failed to return home.

According to Ann Katusiime, the Deputy Head of missions at the Ugandan high commission in Rwanda, over 350 people had registered for repatriation however some could not show up even on the final day on Wednesday.

"The first batch had 100 Ugandans repatriated, 94 more people followed and Wednesday saw 66 people repatriated. We had booked for more people to travel but when the time came, only these turned up.  When contacted, some told us that they were not ready to return home while others still found comfort in staying in Rwanda," she said.

Katusiime said that those who were repatriated were the stranded ones but those who found it comfortable to stay in Kigali opted to remain and they might consider traveling when borders reopen as soon as possible.

She added that the Ugandans in Rwanda through their association played a key role to support those stranded Ugandans for the last 6 months.

"We were chanced to have a united effort as Ugandans in supporting our own who had lost jobs due to the lockdown. Some who were teachers, bar operators and others who had small jobs here were rendered jobless when COVID-19 set in.

As the commission, we rolled out a registration exercise and we were able to support each other until this time when we had them repatriated," said Katusiime.

Wallace Bindeeba, a senior Immigration officer at Katuna border who received the returnees, said that the exercise had been done successfully and the remaining exercise was for health officials to deal with the returnees.

"The repatriation exercise was successful and we expect the health Ministry to deal with the returnees while they get to settle in the country.  This group will go to Entebbe for quarantine and they will later settle in their respective homes," he said.

Returnees speak out

Gift Akampurira, 30, a teacher from Kanungu district has been in Rwanda for the last 2 years. When the schools closed down for COVID-19, she was among the Ugandans who lost her job and life started getting tough for her.

"I embarked on spending some of my savings to clear the day to day expenditure until my savings were all done. I later called home for assistance and a time reached when home support failed. I learnt that our High commission was registering stranded Ugandans and I opted for registration. We were given maize flour and beans which have been my daily meal until today," she said.

Akampurira who could not hide her excitement upon returning said that she will be glad to taste home food again.

Phionah Nakitende, a mother of 3 who has been teaching in Rwanda said that for the last 6 months, her absence from her family was disastrous to their upbringing and family cohesion.

"As a mother, I used to be in Rwanda and then after a short while I returned to check on my family. My 3 years old child whom I had just weaned was missing that motherly love. I could talk to them on the phone but that was not satisfactory. I feel so joyful that I will be able to meet them again and we smile together," she said.

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