Dr. Stella Nyanzi, a prominent Ugandan academic and political activist, claims she was prevented from boarding a flight to Germany, where she holds recognized refugee status, due to a dispute over her documentation.
In a social media post on Saturday, Nyanzi alleged that a German migration officer, identified only as “Constantine” and reportedly stationed at the German embassy in Nairobi, blocked her from boarding an Etihad Airways flight at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.
The officer insisted her documents were invalid, despite Nyanzi presenting a letter from the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) dated March 4, 2025.
The BAMF letter, signed by an official named “Lewandowski,” confirms Nyanzi’s asylum status under Article 3 Paragraph 1 of the German Asylum Act, detailing her rights and obligations.
However, Constantine reportedly dismissed the letter, claiming her asylum case was still pending and stating, “You are NOT a refugee in Germany.” He further informed her that she must reapply for re-entry to Germany.
Nyanzi, who resides in Munich with her three children, expressed frustration at the ordeal, noting that her flight’s boarding gate was closing as she was left stranded in Nairobi.
“My taxi has already gone back to Nairobi city. I already checked out of my BnB,” she wrote, highlighting the personal toll of the situation. She added, “Sometimes I hate the dehumanization of being a refugee dependent on other humans to decide whether I can go to my home or not!”
Nyanzi and her children have lived in Germany since 2021 where they sought asylum after the elections. She is very outspoken against human rights violations in Uganda.
