Kampala, Uganda — The Ugandan government is set to drastically cut down its number of foreign missions from 38 to just 15, following a presidential directive aimed at streamlining costs and improving diplomatic impact.
Hon. John Mulimba, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs (Regional Affairs), made the announcement during a heated parliamentary session on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
He revealed that President Yoweri Museveni had ordered a comprehensive cost-benefit analysis of Uganda’s 35 operational diplomatic missions to determine their true value to the country.
“The President wants us to assess which missions deliver real returns,” Mulimba said. “The plan is to retain only those with strategic importance and eliminate those that drain public funds without tangible benefit.”
This move comes amid mounting criticism from lawmakers over the deteriorating performance of Uganda’s embassies and consulates.
According to Mulimba, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs currently faces a staggering Shs238 billion budget shortfall—hampering staffing, infrastructure, subscriptions, and diplomatic wages.
Foreign Missions Under Strain
The Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs, chaired by Hon. Catherine Lamwaka, presented a report highlighting major challenges plaguing Uganda’s missions abroad.
Key concerns included chronic underfunding, insecure premises, low staffing, and the absence of key ambassadors in strategic nations.
Despite the Vienna Convention of 1961 mandating host countries to protect foreign diplomatic premises, many Ugandan missions rely on private security firms due to failure to secure adequate protection from their host governments.
The report also emphasized a rising demand for consular services in Gulf nations, especially in Abu Dhabi and Riyadh, which host large populations of Ugandan migrant workers.
Missions in New Delhi, Kuala Lumpur, and Nairobi were spotlighted for their increasing caseloads of human trafficking victims—many of whom were lured abroad by false job promises.
“We cannot continue neglecting our citizens abroad while other countries go above and beyond to protect theirs,” Lamwaka said. “It’s hurting Uganda’s global image.”
The committee has called for emergency funding of Shs1.2 billion for the New Delhi mission and Shs367 million for Kuala Lumpur to help with urgent repatriation efforts.
Policy Gaps and Leadership Vacuums
The Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs, Hon. Muwada Nkunyingi, expressed concern about vacant ambassadorial positions in crucial nations like Kenya, Nigeria, Canada, Iran, and the DRC.
“These are strategic countries. What is the government’s plan to fill these gaps?” he asked.
Kasilo MP Elijah Okupa also criticized the government’s failure to promote foreign service officers. Some, he noted, have served over a decade without a single promotion—despite a directive from the President.
Hon. Abdallah Kiwanuka (Mukono North) raised alarms over the lack of a clear foreign policy guiding Uganda’s labour externalisation. He warned that Ugandans continue falling prey to traffickers in the Middle East due to glaring policy loopholes.
“If we can’t adequately fund protection and repatriation efforts, why are we encouraging labour export at all?” he asked.
Bukimbiri County’s Hon. Eddie Kwizera echoed these frustrations, demanding clear compensation policies for damaged embassies—citing Uganda House in Nairobi and the Kinshasa mission as recent examples.
As Uganda reevaluates its diplomatic footprint, pressure is mounting for a serious overhaul of how the country manages its foreign affairs—prioritizing value, security, and the welfare of Ugandans abroad.
