Ugandan diplomat dies on return from Norway

Sep 05, 2016

Gilbert Najuna-Njuneki was in charge of the commercial diplomacy at the foreign ministry headquarters

A Ugandan diplomat, Ambassador Gilbert Najuna-Njuneki, the in-charge of special duties at the foreign affairs ministry, has died while returning from Norway.

According to the foreign affairs minister, Sam Kutesa, the ambassador died at the airport in South Africa, where he had just arrived from Oslo, Norway.

Najuna-Njuneki was on his way back home from a Uganda diaspora conference.

 "The ambassador was from Oslo, on his way from a diaspora meeting. After the plane landed at the airport in South Africa, he stood up, but collapsed and died," Kutesa explained.

He said the body was taken to a mortuary for a post-mortem as arrangements are being made to return it to Uganda.

Kutesa said Najuna-Njuneki was in charge of the commercial diplomacy at the foreign ministry headquarters.

"It is a sad and tragic day of the passing away of an able officer, who was working to streamline our commercial office. He will be greatly missed," Kutesa said from London.

Kutesa conveyed his condolence to the family of the deceased. The vice president, Edward Ssekandi, last week visited the Nordic countries, where he held a series of meetings.

Ssekandi's delegation included Government officials and Members of Parliament, including Margaret Muhanga.

Ssekandi, among other meetings, addressed the Finland-Uganda Investment Forum and held a meeting with the Prime Minister of Finland, Juha Sipilä, at his residence in the Finnish capital of Helsinki.

Najuna-Njuneki hailed from Mitooma district in western Uganda.

Last year, the then Minister of Internal Affairs, Gen. Aronda Nyakairima, died as he was travelling back from a visit to South Korea.

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});