The US government has reportedly injected $500m, approximately 1.7 trillion shillings on 2000 Afghan refugees expected to arrive anytime now.
The refugees will enter the country in batches of 500 persons per trip.
Disaster and preparedness minister Hillary Onek remains tight-lipped on the figurative amount sent by the US for their welfare,he says the government will host them in hotels.
While interfacing with the presidential affairs committee Onek said:”we shall put them in hotels after all our hotels starving of customers, our hotels need to start earning money from these.”
Earlier there had been unconfirmed reports suggesting that the refugees will temporarily stay at the Namboole National stadium.
Lubaga South MP Abubaker Kawalya raised concern in the meeting about the status of the stadium:
”We are being told that some of the refugees that are coming from Afghanistan, so some of us are concerned that even during the lockdown, tents were constructed and that’s where people have been getting treatment. We thought that maybe there was going to be more room for our sportsmen and Women to use the stadium.”
Onek has meanwhile allayed fears that Uganda is unknowingly opening its doors to terrorists since the refugees have no identification.
Onek says;” these are going to be thoroughly checked, even the Ministry of health will make sure their health is checked before they are relocated or taken where they are to be settled that is not a problem.”
The Minister says the US will temporarily have the refugees in other countries while they finalize their paperwork to enter the US.
Uganda is known to be a host to the largest number of refugees in Africa with over 1.45 million persons.
Most hail from South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Burundi who are mostly camped at settlement camps.
