Latecomers to be barred from ‘Museveni functions’
State Minister for Foreign Affairs Oryem Okello (L) with newly-appointed ambassadors during their induction at the Foreign Affairs office in Kampala yesterday. PHOTO BY STEPHEN WANDERA.
What you need to know:
According to Ambassador James Mugume, the proposal is intended to ensure that government officials keep time.
Kampala
Cabinet ministers who show up late for events graced by the President could be turned away, the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has said.
Ambassador James Mugume yesterday said the move is meant to “end an African habit of late coming”. “We are recommending that once the President has sat, those who have not entered should not be allowed in. We have seen ministers come in and even shake hands with him. This is unacceptable in diplomacy,” he said.
Amb. Mugume made the remarks during the induction of 22 ambassadors in Kampala. “We need Cabinet to approve that a protocol officer can tell a minister who is late to go back. We are doing this to modernise our protocol,” he said.
The Minister for Information, Ms Mary Karooro Okurut, however, said: “It was a personal opinion.”
It is not just Cabinet ministers though who turn up late for State events.
The President, too, has on some occasions turned up late because of either security concerns or previous engagements.
Amb. Mugume, however, said: “The proper protocol is that if the chief guest has come, then everybody else for the State function is late. That means they have missed the function.” Mr Wafula Oguttu, the Forum for Democratic Change spokesperson, said some ministers show up late for meetings because they know the meetings rarely start on time. “Many show up an hour late, more so if it is a function where President is expected. They would rather do something else, and then go; hoping by that time the President would be arriving. Some of them even monitor where the President could be,” he said.
He added that it is worse when people troop to the President’s country home in Rwakitura in western Uganda, where they wait for hours for him. This, Mr Wafula said, is wastage of time. He said if the government wants people to turn up early for functions, the President should emulate Prof. Apolo Nsibambi and the late Dr Samson Kisekka.
The two served as prime minister and were known for arriving early for events to which they was invited. The new envoys are yet to begin work months after being appointed and vetted by Parliament.
However, Amb. Mugume said they could start work in a month. “The President has to sign their accreditation letters whereas the countries we are sending them to have to agree to our nominees,” he said.
