Former Chief Justice Odoki, Acholi Chief among South Africa, UK returnees

Former Chief Justice Benjamin Odoki and Acholi Paramount Chief Rwot David Onen Acana II were among Ugandans who returned from South Africa and UK on July 2.

A total of 154 Ugandan nationals and legal residents from South Africa and the United Kingdom (UK) arrived at Entebbe International Airport on Thursday.

The South African batch also included nationals that were in Lesotho, Eswatini, Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Former Chief Justice Odoki was among the 62 returnees that set off from OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg on Thursday.

Odoki works in the Kingdom of Eswatini.

Others were Opportunity Bank Uganda Chief Executive Officer Emmanuel Tineyi  Mawocha, Ministry of Public Service Assistant Commissioner Samuel Eitu Samuel,  and Uganda and former Head of the Presidential Press Unit Onapito Ekolomoit.

Students, businesspeople and professionals were also among those repatriated.

The returnees from the UK, 92, in total included national that were stuck in Ireland.

They included Royal Highness Rwot David Onen Acana II, the Acholi Paramount Chief, and Professor Francis Gervase Omaswa.

Prof Omaswa is a renowned cardiovascular surgeon and the Executive Director of the African Centre for Global Health and Social Transformation (Achest).

The returnees were stranded abroad after Uganda suspended passenger flights to stop the spread of Covid19.