Save Uganda from broke embassies

The US permanent pepresentative to the United Nations, Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, is expected in the country later this week as part of her two nation Africa tour during which her discussion will centre on global food security crisis.

Russian Foreign Affairs minister Sergei Lavrov was in the country last week as part of his four-nation Africa tour to counter accusations against Moscow since its invasion of Ukraine in late February.

At best, the two visits by top diplomats of belligerent super powers speak to government playing its diplomatic power favourably at international fora. However, reports that diplomatic Missions abroad are cash-strapped and others on the brink beats any understanding.

This coming on the heels of endless reports of inadequate financing affecting work at the Missions, including failure to avail consular services. Then there are the occasional problems of fights between political appointees and installed employees through cronyism, and career diplomats, which has, among others, fractured work relations.

But failing to ensure the Missions are credit worthy is the last form of embarrassment the government would want to subject the country to. How does the Ministry of Foreign Affairs justify a leaky Chancery, of all places, in Washington DC?  

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kampala can negotiate with National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC) not to cut off water supplies if they are late on paying the bill but it is preposterous to imagine that our Mission in DC would do the same with the Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council of the US—the equivalent of NWSC.

President Museveni is receiving some of the highest level guests in world politics. He is articulating a foreign policy stance of non-alignment, trade across the world and basically instructing Missions to change their approach to foreign policy by placing emphasis on commercial diplomacy. 

By the time the President made that call for everyone to come and trade, he must have had the confidence that we have that capacity. The responsibility of implementing what he is asking falls on Missions, according to the National Development Plan III for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

By failing on basic things like paying adequate medical insurance for Ugandan diplomats or even fueling a representational car for a meeting to the White House let alone timely payment of utility bills, isn’t the government washing and then hanging on the ground? In the grand scheme of things, how does undressing one’s diplomats elicit confidence in the economy for foreign investors?

The Treasury will say it is an issue of money and that is understandable. Uganda is not the poorest country in Africa; it is an issue of prioritisation. Save the country from the embarrassment!