KAMPALA – Cabinet has approved the return of over 2,500 Ugandans stuck abroad over the coronavirus pandemic.
In a meeting chaired by President Museveni on Monday, May 25, 2020, it was agreed that the stranded Ugandans will cater for their own flight costs, undergo testing upon arrival and undergo the mandatory 14 days quarantine at their own cost.
The revelation was made by Information and ICT minister Judith Nabakooba on Tuesday, May 26.
According to Ms Nabakooba, the government will work with different partners such as World Food Programme, which have private planes, and see how to evacuate the Ugandans stranded in 66 countries around the world.
Several Ugandans stranded in countries such as South Africa, United Arab Emirates, UK, US, Turkey and China have been taking to social media, appealing to the Kampala government to allow them back home, saying that they were suffering from the effects of lockdowns imposed over coronavirus in the host countries.
However, government had been reluctant to evacuate them for fear that they would bring the virus back home given the countries have many cases of coronavirus.
Ms Nabakooba also said, however, the cabinet decision does not apply to those Ugandans in neighbouring countries.
