Ugandans stranded in Qatar are safely back home

REPATRIATION

A total of 167 Ugandan nationals who were stuck in Qatar due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions have been successfully repatriated back home.

The group, who flew in aboard a Qatar Airways flight, arrived at Entebbe at about 5pm local time on Friday.

They had found themselves unable to return home following the closure of Entebbe International Airport to passenger flights several weeks ago, as Uganda went into lockdown to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

But later in April, the Ugandan embassy in Qatar started registering stranded Ugandans in the Gulf state to help them back home. The embassy coordinated with Qatar Airways for the repatriation exercise.

On Friday, the group was set and excited to be returning home. They were seen off in Doha by the embassy, before arriving safe and sound at Entebbe after a couple of hours airborne.

This is one of the many repatriation exercises being undertaken in coordination with the foreign affairs ministry and Uganda's missions abroad for Ugandan nationals stuck abroad due to the ongoing pandemic.

While seeing the group off in Doha, Ambassdor Dr. Stephen Chemoiko Chebrot thanked President Yoweri Museveni for making it possible for people to return back to Uganda.

In the same spirit, he also thanked the foreign affairs ministries of Uganda and Qatar for their support to the embassy in the repatriation process.

The envoy extended the same gratitude to the embassy staff and the Peninsula Community of Ugandans for their tireless effortsin coordinating the various groups to register with the embassy.