By Rolex Akena
Lira
Now that peace has returned to all parts of Ugandan after 20 years of war, Ugandan exiles have started returning home in large numbers. The first group of Ugandan refugees from Zambia are reported to have returned on May 22, 2008 aboard a UNHCR plane.
Hon Jimmy Akena (above) negotiated with President Museveni for safe return of Ugandan exiles (Photo by Phillips Ogile)
Lira Municipality Member of Parliament Jimmy Akena says the returnees are part of the Ugandans who fled to Zambia when the government of his late father, Dr Milton Obote, was overthrown by General Idi Amin in 1971.
Akena says the first lot of repatriates arrived aboard a United Nations High Commission for Refugees plane.
MP Akena also says most of the 36 former exiles who returned home are originally from Lango, Mbale and West Nile sub regions, adding that some are orphans who were born in Zambia but their parents died.
He adds that the process of repatriating Ugandan refugees started way back in 2005 when he returned from Zambia after the death of his father, former President Dr Apollo Miltin Obote.
The group was recieved at the airport by MP Akena and their relatives who were evidently juvial to see their kins home again after a long time in exile.
Filed under: Lira Uganda
Hi,
The story: Ugandan refugees return home, seems to say that Lira Municipality MP Jimmy Akena returned home after his father’s death in October 2005. But the fact is that long before Obote died, Akena (who then had a dreadlocked hairstyle) had returned to Uganda. Akena’s return to Uganda might have been either early 2005 or late 2004. I hope the mistake gets corrected.
Regards,
Denis