Ugandan engineer evacuated from war-torn Afghanistan
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Monday afternoon received Stephen Wamala, a Ugandan national who was evacuated from war-torn Afghanistan.
Wamala, a heavy equipment engineer was working working with an Afghan wireless communications company.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Permanent Secretary Bagiire Vincent who received Wamala at his office confirmed that the engineer was successfully evacuated by the United States government at the request of Uganda.
“He traveled back to Uganda on Friday September 3, 2021 aboard an SN Brussels flight from Frankfurt to Entebbe,” Bagiire said in a statement dated September 6.
He added that Wamala’s travel expenses and all related costs were footed by the Embassy of Uganda in Germany.
Wamala thanked the Uganda government and the US for all the assistance accorded to him to safely evacuate him from Kabul, Afghanistan.
PS Bagiire welcomed Wamala back home, further indicating that the engineer joins 13 other Ugandans who have already been evacuated from Afghanistan.
“He is healthy, safe and ready to proceed to his home in Kitagwenda district”
The PS expressed the ministry’s commitment to evacuate any Ugandan nationals still stuck in Afghanistan who wish to return.
It should be remembered that on August 25, 2021 following the arrival of 51 Afghan evacuees on the request of US, the Ministry of Affairs admitted that there were Ugandan nationals stuck in Afghanistan.
The ministry explained that Ugandans had failed to make it to the airport due to challenges of accessing Kabul Airport.
“Whereas it had been arranged for some Ugandans to travel on the flight (evacuation flight to Uganda), due to the challenges of accessing the airport in Kabul, they were unable to make it,” Ministry of Foreign Affairs had said in a statement.
The ministry had however confirmed that arrangements were being put in place to bring them in the subsequent flight.
To-date, 14 Ugandans have been evacuated from Afghanistan according to the foreign affairs ministry.
