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Zawya
17-04-2025
- Politics
- Zawya
Uganda: Government to reduce missions abroad to 15
The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs (Regional Affairs), Hon. John Mulimba has revealed that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will reduce the number of diplomatic missions abroad from the current 38 to about 15 according to a president directive citing cost concerns and questions around their effectiveness. Mulimba made the disclosure during the plenary sitting on Wednesday, 16 April 2025 while responding to concerns raised by Members of Parliament over the deteriorating performance of Uganda's foreign missions. 'President Museveni has directed a cost-benefit review of all 35 foreign missions, with a view to reducing the number to around 15. There's a clear directive to examine which missions offer the greatest return on investment and to scale down accordingly,' he said. He said that this measure is meant to cure the challenges of low staffing and presence of missions. He added that this led to the presidential directive to carry out a cost-benefit analysis of the presence of the missions abroad. This followed debate of the Committee on Foreign Affairs presented by the Chairperson, Hon. Catherine Lamwaka which highlighted the state of Uganda's missions abroad citing security threats, underfunding and staffing gaps. Mulimba said that the ministry's budget shortfall is Shs238 billion which would cater for all the key areas of staffing, infrastructure, wages and subscriptions. Lamwaka said that while the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations (1961) mandates host countries to protect foreign diplomatic premises, many Ugandan missions fail to request adequate protection and instead depend on private security firms. The committee also drew attention to the high demand for consular services at missions in Riyadh and Abu Dhabi, where large populations of Ugandan migrant workers are based. Missions in New Delhi, Kuala Lumpur and Nairobi were singled out for their growing burden in dealing with human trafficking cases involving young Ugandans who are promised employment abroad. While the government is only obligated to repatriate citizens in the event of war or natural disasters, the committee warned that failure to assist stranded nationals abroad damages Uganda's international image. 'Other countries go to great lengths to rescue their citizens. When Uganda does not, it creates a perception of neglect and weakens our diplomatic standing,' she warned. The committee recommended emergency funding of Shs1.2 billion for the mission in New Delhi and Shs367 million for Kuala Lumpur to facilitate repatriation efforts. The Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs, Hon. Muwada Nkunyingi raised concern over the absence of substantive ambassadors in key countries including the DRC, Iran, Kenya, Nigeria, and Canada. 'What is the government doing to address this anomaly?' he asked. Kasilo County MP, Hon. Elijah Okupa re-echoed similar frustrations highlighting the stagnation in career progression for foreign service staff. 'Some officers recruited over 12 years ago have never been promoted despite a presidential directive,' he said. Mukono North MP, Hon. Abdallah Kiwanuka criticised the lack of a coherent foreign policy on labour externalisation warning that Ugandans continue to fall prey to human traffickers in the Middle East due to policy gaps. 'If we cannot budget sustainably to protect and repatriate our citizens, why are we allowing externalisation at all?' he asked. Bukimbiri County MP, Hon. Eddie Kwizera also demanded for clarity on the country's foreign policy and compensation for damages to Uganda's embassies, particularly Uganda House in Nairobi and the Kinshasa Mission. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Parliament of the Republic of Uganda.
Zawya
05-03-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Finance Ministry avails money for activties of rationalised agencies
The Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development has availed over Shs1.2 trillion to ministries, departments and agencies receiving functions of rationalised agencies. According to a letter dated 26 February 2025 to accounting officers, the funds will enable implementation of revised structures, new mandates and functions of the ministries. The Deputy Speaker, Thomas Tayebwa who chaired the House on Tuesday, 04 March 202, read a letter from the Finance Ministry which highlighted the breakdown of the funding. Shs296 billion will got for recurrent expenditures, Shs940 billion development expenditures while the statutory obligations will be funded with Shs7 billion. 'The purpose of this letter is to forward to you the resolution of Parliament and request you to initiate the supplementary allocation on the programme budgeting system and provide revised work plans,' reads the letter in part. Tayebwa said the source of funding and budget lines were clear, indicating that Parliament approved transfer of budgets allocated to votes of rationalised agencies to the votes of respective MDAs. 'What is very important is to put the different ministries and agencies to task to ensure that they start executing their plans with the availed money,' Tayebwa added. The Minister for Public Service, Hon. Muruli Mukasa in his statement to Parliament said that said that Shs29.6 billion has been provided to relevant line ministries in the first quarter of financial year 2024/25 to cater for gratuity, pension and severance packages for affected staff. He added that the delay in provision of funds for the process had affected the effective incorporation of the functions of rationalised agencies into the respective line ministries, attributing it to a process by the Finance Ministry to re-vote and allocate funds to receiving institutions. 'Most of the institutions that have finalised the validation exercises do not have wage to pay salaries for the successful staff. This necessitates the Ministry of Finance to fast-track the transfer of wage to the receiving MDAs,' said Muruli Mukasa. Before the Deputy Speaker read the letter from the Finance Ministry, Members of Parliament raised concerns about the delayed process of availing funds for terminal benefits. 'There was a guarantee by the Minister for Finance that there is money for the rationalisation Bills that were brought for Parliament's consideration. People have pensions that are not being paid and it is affecting their welfare,' said Hon. Denis Oguzu Lee (FDC, Maracha County). Hon. Sarah Opendi (NRM, Tororo District Woman Representative) questioned the manner in which the certificates of financial implication were issued by the Ministry of Finance. 'The statement by the Minister for Public Service states that most institutions have not finalised the calculations for payment of pension, gratuity and severance packages for deserving staff. How did you come up with a certificate of financial implication without these computations?' Opendi asked. MPs also raised concerns about stalled works by some agencies whose functions were transferred to line ministries. Buhweju District Woman Representative, Hon. Olive Katwesigye and Hon. Patrick Aeku (NRM, Soroti County) observed that projects under the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) stalled after the rationalisation of agencies. Hon. Nathan Byanyima (NRM, Bukanga North County) and Hon. Zumura Maneno (NRM, Obongi District Woman Representative) raised fears of stalled road construction works and ferry transport services, which they said is impacting negatively on the public. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Parliament of the Republic of Uganda.
