L-R: Ambassador Henry Mayega, Speaker Anita Among, CDF Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba
One after another, the country has suffered a number of diplomatic blunders that have led to a significant dip in Uganda's image in diplomatic circles.
This was compounded by a string of sanctions imposed on high-ranking government officials, signalling dissatisfaction from allies with the state of affairs in the country.
Sanctions are tools deployed by a country against another, individuals or companies to coerce and force a certain course of action, or express dissatisfaction.
Key Ugandan officials have this year been designated and sanctioned by global powers. The sanctioning of Uganda’s Number Three in the order of precedence, Speaker of Parliament Anita Among, in May, by the United States (US) and the United Kingdom (UK), for example, raised concern, with analysts saying although the sanctions were targeted, the damage was extended to tarnish the general image of the country.
The US and the UK slapped travel bans and asset freezes against Speaker Among on accusations of significant corruption, tied to her leadership of Parliament and taking from the most vulnerable, in the Karamoja iron sheets scandal. Speaker Among has since been exonerated over the same by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP). The sanctioning of Ms Among also dragged in the chief diplomat, President Museveni, to sort of diffuse the blowback from the restrictions. Mr Museveni issued multiple letters to verify the specifics of the sanctions. This signalled an effect of the sanctions not only on Ms Among but the government in general.
Speaker Among has consistently labelled the sanctions as retribution for steering the passing of the anti-homosexuality law that most Western countries were opposed to.
Mouth off Another key dent on Ugandans relations was a result of utterances by the President’s son, also the Chief of Defence Forces, Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba. Analysts have argued that given his position as the military head, and son of the President, the 50-years-old’s utterances cannot be viewed as mere meltdowns, and carry significant consequences.
In the most recent developments, Gen Muhoozi triggered a diplomatic row with the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and Sudan after threatening war on the two countries.
On his X handle, Muhoozi posted he would attack all White armed nationals in the DRC, and in another threatened to work with US President Donald Trump to overrun the Sudan capital of Khartoum. The posts have since been deleted, but the damage remains, especially after Kinshasa and Khartoum issued protest notes
and continue to seek explanation and apologies from Kampala .
In 2022, President Museveni was forced to issue an apology to neighbouring Kenya, also Uganda’s main gateway to the sea, after Gen Muhoozi made similar utterances against Nairobi. The comments left the two nations that share a historic bond and several interests on a knife edge.
“It would take us, my army and I, 2 weeks to capture Nairobi,” Muhoozi, then senior advisor on special operations, posted on X.
Joy Ruth Acheng
While officials played back channel diplomacy to diffuse the tensions, the citizens of either country were at each other's throats, especially on the social media platform X, creating a diplomatic war. The next year, Muhoozi attracted international attention after he offered to deploy UPDF troops to defend Russia against any imperialists. This came after Uganda had abstained from voting to condemn the Russian war on Ukraine.
President Museveni barred his son from commenting on delicate issues on his social media platforms, but every once in a while, the General ignores this directive, and delivers yet another dent on the country’s relations.
Diplomatic blunders
According to the general practice, ambassadors and diplomatic envoys manage and maintain relations between countries. They represent the interests of their native country and are expected to display the highest form of decorum. Uganda’s experience this year has, however, been riddled with embarrassing episodes birthed by those meant to portray it in the best light on the global stage and bilaterally.
Ugandan diplomats have been accused of f louting international laws that guide relations between countries. In July, it emerged that diplomats had opened a casino at Uganda’s Consulate in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. This action contravenes the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations that sets out the framework for establishment, maintenance and termination of diplomatic relations between countries. The consul general, Henry Mayega, has since been recalled and investigations launched.
Before this dust could settle, Uganda’s ambassador to Canada, Joy Ruth Acheng was declared persona non grata and expelled from Ottawa in August over uncouth behaviour.
Speaker Anita Among
Ms Acheng was involved in open confrontations with Ugandans in support of the Opposition on the streets of Ottawa, among other indiscretions. Following multiple gaffes, the Foreign Affairs ministry in August organized an introspection meeting for Uganda’s ambassadors to share knowledge and align the envoys’ pursuits with government priorities. While its results are yet to be seen, a lot of work is due as to how Uganda will paint a better image of itself on the global stage.
OTHERS SANCTIONED
Moses Magogo, a lawmaker for Budiope East County, was also sanctioned. The other officials sanctioned for corruption included junior Finance minister Amos Lugolobi; the immediate past Karamoja Affairs minister Mary Goretti Kitutu; and ex-junior minister of the Karamoja docket Agnes Nanduttu. The two have since been charged in court and dropped from Cabinet.
In the aftermath, there were concerns that the sanctions would affect parliamentary business, and as result, national business.
The US also sanctioned former Deputy Chief of Defence Forces Peter Elwelu over gross human rights violations. His designation generally indicted the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) for committing extrajudicial killings.
The sanctions generally reflected concerns over corruption, and undermining of democratic process, as well as repressing members of the vulnerable groups in Uganda, with indications that more top officials are lined up for designation.
