More Ugandan students based in Egypt return Fiday

By Norman Katende

The arrival of the second batch of the Uganda Government-sponsored students from Egypt where they are being evacuated due to political unrest has been delayed.

An official at the education and sports ministry Yusuf Mukoka said that the students who were expected to arrive in the country Thursday will instead fly in on Friday aboard an Ethiopian airline flight. No reason was given for the for the delay.

“We could not have them arrive today (Thursday). We have confirmed that all the remaining government sponsored students will be arriving on Friday,” said Mukoka when contacted for comment.

Government-sponsored students started arriving home on Wednesday from Egypt, where over 300 of their counterparts, sponsored by the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council (UMSC), are still stranded as the situation remains fragile.

The Government and UMSC do not pay for the return tickets of the students they sponsor in the north-east African country except during emergency situations. Officials from the Ministry of Education said the finance ministry released sh100m with instructions from the Prime Minister to secure return tickets for 45 students from Egypt.  

Under the sponsorship arrangement, the Government and UMSC only pay tuition and monthly allowances to students during holidays so that they do not have to come back home save for those whose parents can pay for return tickets before the end of the academic year.

The political unrest follows protests from the members of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt that have so far left over 50 people dead. This follows the military taking over government after a wave of protests across the country.

The military-backed government tightened a crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood on Wednesday, ordering the arrest of its revered leader one week after an army-led coup.