A group of 720 Kenyans who had been living in Uganda as refugees returned in a convoy of 12 buses on Tuesday.
They were among people internally displaced by the 2007-8 post-election violence and had been living at the Kiryandongo refugee camp in Western Uganda.
A host of senior Ugandan state officials led by Disaster Preparedness minister Hillary Onek escorted them up to the Malaba boarder post where they were handed over to Kenyan authorities.
The Kenyan delegation that received them at about 4pm was led by Upper Western regional coordinator James ole Serian and Busia county commissioner Isaiah Nakoru.
“We have known your countrymen as hard working people and we did not have any problem staying with them,” Onek said during a joint briefing at the Malaba Administration Police camp grounds.
Serian thanked the Ugandan government for accommodating the group for the last seven years saying; “This is the cooperation we expect.”
The returnees were received at the Malaba dispensary compound where 100 family tents were set up for them.
They are part of 4,000 refugees who crossed into Uganda at the height of the clashes that displaced 600,000 Kenyans.
Another 530 IDPs are due to return next week.
– the-star.co.ke
