Go slow on Afghan evacuees, Muntu warns Museveni

“I don’t know what the people who allowed to host the Afghans based on to let them come here. They are running away from insecurity and human rights abuse in their country and yet Uganda has its own share to partake. I think should have been that until Uganda deals with their issues, they can’t be allowed to host more refugees,” Gen Muntu told journalists at the party headquarters yesterday.

On Wednesday, 51 Afghan evacuees arrived at Entebbe International Airport in Uganda following an August 15 Taliban takeover in Kabul.

The US Ambassador to Uganda, Ms Natalie E Brown, received the first batch.

However, the arrival of the evacuees came with criticism on the Ugandan government why they had left a number of Ugandans in Kabul and prioritised non-nationals.

Later, government communicated that only two Ugandans had failed to get a direct flight to the country but promised that arrangements to have them evacuated were underway.

Gen Muntu said ignoring Ugandans exposes government as one that lucks integrity and doesn’t have its own people at heart but looking for ways of gaining from the arrival of the Afghans.

“I have seen these reports but this shows how unfair this government is. I know that there could be ways through which they gain from but they should look at the nationals first and give them priority,” Gen Muntu said.

He also asked the Office of the Prime Minister to publish the lists of all those who received the Covid-19 relief funds to hold them accountable.

“The initiative of giving money to people who were vulnerable was good but we need to see who received how much of the relief funds. This will help them plan for the next wave in case it comes, it is clear they had not planned for this particular one,” Gen Muntu said. Mr Wilberforce Seryazi, the ANT spokesperson, said the party had also made a proposal to the government on how schools can be opened immediately with stringent penalties for those that break the Covid-19 regulations and standard operating procedures (SOPs). 

“We proposed that government should recall retired teachers who are still strong and able to bolster manpower needs for class teaching and school inspection, university and tertiary intakes should also be done at least twice a year,” he said.

“We also need to expand learning spaces without building new schools, and here, an appeal can be made to churches, mosques, or the Muslim community, and community centres etc to donate their spaces to be used for teaching and learning during the week and also institute a tracking and re-absorption the mechanism for learners who may have already dropped out, gotten pregnant, or lost interest altogether,” he added.