They were stranded in Uganda for 3 months due to Covid-19 suspension of flights.
Entebbe,
At least 133 Somali nationals were at the weekend repatriated to Somalia after being stranded in Uganda for close to three months due to suspension of flights in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The group is part of a total of 400 Somali nationals who have so far been evacuated by their government out of Uganda since the outbreak of the coronavirus.
The majority of the evacuees who were repatriated on Saturday are students studying in various universities in Uganda. Others who travelled aboard a chartered plane were visitors, tourists and businesspeople.
Somalia’s Acting Ambassador to Uganda, Mr Ali Mohamed, thanked Uganda for allowing the team to travel given the existing lockdown measures and the ban on international passenger flights.
“All those leaving Uganda for Somalia have duly been checked and found to be negative for Covid-19,” he added.
Mr Mohamed said the Somali Embassy in Kampala is registering citizens stranded in Uganda to enable them travel home.
Ms Nur Ali Abdi, 80, one of the evacuees, said she came to Uganda to seek medical attention.
She has been staying in Mengo-Kisenyi, Kampala City.