Ugandan diplomats begin reporting to their duty stations

By Raymond Baguma

Uganda’s Heads of Mission recently appointed to serve in the country’s foreign missions have begun to report to their respective duty stations, the foreign affairs permanent sec treaty Ambassador James Mugume has said.

He said that the delay in deployment was because of the quarterly release of funds by the ministry of finance to the ministry of foreign affairs.

Ambassador Mugume yesterday (Wednesday) cited Grace Akello, the new envoy to Rome, Italy; as well as Richard Angualia the new ambassador to Cairo in Egypt as some of the diplomats that have reported to their duty stations.

Last year, President Yoweri Museveni reshuffled the diplomatic service, appointing new ambassadors and high commissioners, as well as transferring others to different foreign missions.

Some of the appointees include Dorothy Hyuha (Tanzania), Richard Nduhuura (New York), Prof. Joyce Kikafunda (London), Betty Aketch (Beijing), Moto Julius Peter (South Africa), Christopher Onyango (Geneva), Kibedi Zaake (Copenhagen).

Others are Wonekha Oliver (Washington DC), Ebuk Moses (Moscow), Irene Florence Persis (Saudi Arabia), Kintu Nyago (New York), Susan Adong Odong (Ottawa), Nkuruho Enock (Canberra), Olwa Johnson Agara (Ankara), Nsambu Alintuma (Eritrea), and Prof. Sam Turyamuhika (Somalia).

However, deployments delayed which Ambassador Mugume attributes to the release of funds to the ministry of foreign affairs. He said that in the fourth quarter which has commenced, more diplomats are expected to report for duty.

“This is a procedural matter and as soon as it’s released, they will leave by mid-May or June,” said Mugume. He however did not reveal how much money has been allocated for the exercise.

Last year, foreign affairs state minister Okello Oryem complained to the Parliamentary Foreign budget Committee that low funding had left Uganda’s embassies and foreign missions broke, giving the country a bad international image.