By Spy Uganda
The Minister for Foreign Affairs Sam Kahamba Kuteesa is currently facing public uproar for breaching President Yoweri Museveni’s directive of banning all passenger flights at Entebbe Airport as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak by allowing city tycoon Ben Kavuya’s family members fly into Uganda aboard Ethiopian Airways.
This comes after a letter which was reportedly signed by Kuteesa on May 13, 2020, permitting Kavuya’s wife identified as Barbra Kavuya, Blanche Kibaju and Isaiah Tiba Byabashaija to fly into the country leaked to this Website.
Kuteesa’s letter, addressed to the Manager, Ethiopian Airlines, reads in part thus; “ AUTHORISATION TO TRAVEL TO UGANDA
This letter grants permission to the board the following persons on Ethiopian Airlines flight from Addis Ababa to Entebbe International Airport on Monday 18th May, 2020;
- Barbra Kibaju, Ugandan passport No. A00125384 (Kavuya’s wife)
- Blanche Kibaju, USA Passport No. 586872761 (Kabuya’s daughter)
- Isaiah Tiba Byabashaija, USA Passport No. 650368928” (Kavuya’s grand son)
The letter is copied to the Ugandan Ambassador in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Kavuya is the Chief Executive Officer of Global Capital Save 2004, a private money lending company and owns several real estate projects in Uganda.
It should however be noted that President Museveni announced a closure of all airports and entry points to Uganda to all passenger planes apart from cargo planes, as one of the ways of mitigating the spread of COVID-19 into the country.
He also advised Ugandans who are currently abroad to stay in the respective countries until the COVID-19 lockdown is lifted or the pandemic is successfully defeated.
As a result of Museveni’s directive for the closure of Entebbe Airport to passenger flights, several students and other Ugandans are currently stranded in China, United Arab Emirates, USA, Spain, Italy and other countries that were badly hit by COVID-19, because they cannot fly back home.
Actually, Kyadondo East Member of Parliament Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine offered a chartered plane last month to evacuate Ugandans stranded in China due to the COVID-19 but government through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs rejected the offer, reasoning that the matter can only be handled by government.
But all that notwithstanding, it should be noted the United States of America, where tycoon Kavuya’s family is traveling from to enter Uganda, is one of the worst-hit countries in the world, with over 1.5m infections and 80,000 COVID-19 death. Now Ugandans all over the world have gone unto the social media to castigate minister Kuteesa accusing him of segregation since most of them can’t fly back home yet Kavuya’s family is on the way back home. They demanded to know whether they’re semi-human before the Government.
