The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Entebbe, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | A second group of 75 Ugandans who have been stuck in South Africa and Zambia have today returned.
The first group of 71 Ugandans and legal residents returned from the same region on July 2nd.
Aboard Uganda Airlines, the group arrived at Entebbe International Airport at 8:10pm. The aircraft departed this morning from O.R Tambo International Airport (South Africa) with 55 passengers and made a stop over to pick 20 Ugandans at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport in Zambia.
Upon arrival at Entebbe International Airport which is still officially closed to passengers, the repatriated Ugandans were received by Ambassador Alfred Nnam, the spokesperson for ministry of foreign affairs and his colleague Moses Kasujja.
The ministry of health officials asked the returnees to disembark from the plane in groups of ten, to ensure social distancing and also fasten the clearance processes at the immigration and cargo scanning points.
It was also observed that as two females were seen hugging each other after disembarking from the plane, one man took it a notch higher by running to try and hug Nnam and Kasujja.
However, the officials distanced themselves from the man, to ensure they do not breach social distancing and ministry of health guidelines that among others has banned hugging and shaking of hands to combat the spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19).
Also, one male Ugandan in excitement, prostrated before Nnam and Kasujja. He thereafter made 5 push-ups before joining the queue to undergo screening and processing of his travel documents inside the arrivals section.
Meanwhile, each passenger paid $913 US Dollars, (about shillings 3.4 million) to board the plane. This is the same amount the first group paid.
The returnees who included students and business people got stuck in Southern Africa after the closure of all land borders and Entebbe International Airport as a way of combating the spread of the virus.
Also, the group from South Africa was flagged off this morning by Ambassador Kintu Nyago, the Deputy Head of Mission at Uganda High Commission to South Africa.
Meanwhile, the latest group brings the total number of returnees and humanitarian workers to 3,095.
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