By Rogers Wanambwa

KIU, Main Campus – On Wednesday, August 25th, Uganda welcomed the first batch of Afghan refugees at Entebbe International Airport totaling 51. This follows the Taliban takeover of Kabul, Afghanistan's capital city. 

"The evacuees who included women and children arrived aboard a privately chartered plane and underwent necessary security screening as well as mandatory Covid-19 testing and the required quarantine procedures,‘’ the Foreign Affairs Ministry said in a statement.

Natalie E Brown, the US Ambassador to Uganda, welcomed the refugees and her official car was seen departing Airport premises before buses carrying the refugees left DAS handling services at the facility. 

Sources show that they had been booked into Imperial Resort Beach Hotel, Entebbe Municipality in Central Uganda.  

“The government of Uganda has once again demonstrated a willingness to play its part in matters of international concern,” the US Mission Uganda said in a statement, Wednesday. 

Uganda, on August 17, agreed to host the refugees temporarily after being requested to by the government of the United States of America. 

However, many Ugandans remain stranded in Afghanistan ‘‘due to the challenges of accessing the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul.’' 

‘‘They were unable to make it. Arrangements are being made to bring them in the subsequent flight,’’ government informed, a day after the Taliban announced an August 31 deadline for all foreign forces, including those on evacuation missions.