Ugandan King returns home after declined visa extension by Namibian authorities

The king had been receiving medical treatment in the Southern African country for an undisclosed illness since April.

The Okonguari Psychotherapeutic Centre where he is receiving treatment requested a visa extension, a request that was denied on the grounds that the Namibian immigration law provides for a maximum stay of only 90 days in a year to non-citizens.

"Having checked the records, I wish to inform you that the request for an extension for His Royal Highness Ronald Mutebi II, King of the Buganda Kingdom, is declined,” Executive Director of the Ministry of International Relations and Cooperation Penda Naanda was quoted in a response letter to the Centre.

Following this, the Kabaka arrived at the Entebbe Airport on July 21 and was received by Buganda Premier Charles Peter Mayiga and members of the royal family led by Queen Sylvia Nagginda.

According to Mayiga, the King’s Namibia trip was recommended by medical experts for health reasons. He confirmed the King is recovering.

“Previously we have been informing the public that we have to prioritise Kabaka’s health and therefore we had to follow directives from his medical experts. According to his current health status, the Kabaka is improving well and we pray that he will resume his duties soon,” he was quoted.

Visa extension denied

The king's visa denial came months of protests by some of his subjects. Ugandan nationals protested in front of the Namibian Diplomatic Mission in the UK, demanding the return of the traditional monarch to Uganda.

They alleged kidnapping and demanded that the Namibian government release information about the king’s stay in their country to dispel suspicions.  

These nationals were referred to the Buganda traditional authorities considering the private conditions under which the king travelled.

Namibia’s Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security clarified the non-extension through a statement authorised by its Executive Director of Migration, Etienne Maritz.

According to the release, the protests by subjects of the Buganda Kingdom threatened the security of the Namibian diplomatic officials.

“As a sovereign state, we have the right to implement our laws and international law. We cannot extend the King’s visa due to security considerations and the need to maintain order,” he was quoted by local news outlet Monitor.

"We have to respect their rules and ways of life. Since Kabaka went to Namibia, many people have turned the country into... a market where they enter as they wish," he was quoted as saying.

 Meanwhile, Ugandan authorities have accepted Namibia’s decision. Foreign Affairs Minister Henry Oryem Okello said, “Namibia has decided that they are not interested in this kind of bad publicity, and we should respect the Namibian position”.