The Canadian government declared Joy Ruth Acheng (above) persona non grata in Canada while Henry Mayega was expelled by the UAE. Acheng was appointed by President Yoweri Museveni.
As Olympic medalist winner 2024 Joshua Cheptegei continues to market Uganda’s national pride in sports and beyond to honour the Pearl of Africa, diplomats with a mandate to do so are eroding the country’s image abroad.
Recently, televised political talk shows, X spaces, blogs and the print media have been filled with news about the dismissal of Ugandan ambassadors in Canada and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The Canadian government declared Joy Ruth Acheng persona non grata in Canada while Henry Mayega was expelled by the UAE.
Acheng’s confrontation with National Unity Platform (NUP) supporters in Canada contradicts her duty as ambassador to ensure the security and safety of Ugandans in a foreign country.
Just imagine journalist William Ntege (aka Kyuma kya Yesu) seeking services at the Uganda consulate in Canada from a foreign service officer who is openly partisan to the National Resistance Movement (NRM). Would he get the desired services or will he end up in harm’s way?
Mayega is faulted for turning Uganda’s embassy in the UAE into a casino, breaking diplomatic ethical codes. I wonder whether is gambling is one of Uganda’s foreign interests in the UAE that the ambassador was promoting.
Ambassadors are meant to be seasoned officers who have grown through the foreign service ranks. Instead we are witnessing their recruitment based solely on politics, in-laws, brothers and sisters, clan relatives or bush war friends who have monopolised government jobs they acquired through patronage, blood relations and nepotism rather than merit.
Who appoints such shaming persons into our diplomatic missions?
How did we reach this point of having shameful and partisan diplomatic officials participating in verbal diatribe exchanges and gambling into our diplomatic missions?
Achenge, a former Kole district MP of the Uganda People’s Congress, crossed over to the ruling NRM. She was appointed by President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni as an ambassador to Canada as a quid pro quo after failing to make it to parliament on the NRM ticket.
Such political appointees are clear evidence of corruption eroding diplomatic relations, national image and pride, as well as international trade.
Diplomatic officials under the ministry of foreign affairs are the country’s “crème de la crème” trained officers who ought to represent the country with highest form of discipline and decorum and to establish relations to attract foreign investments and spur trade between countries.
Recently, Uganda’s permanent representative at the United Nations, Adonia Ayebare, while appearing on Capital FM simply described the Achenge incident as a blip but, trust me, the reputational damage it has caused is undisputed.
Such inappropriate conduct and illegal behaviour by our diplomatic representatives clearly shows that political corruption stems from gross impunity and irregular recruitment of public servants and a decline in meritocracy.
According to Transparency International’s 2023 Corruption Index Report 2023, Uganda is placed 141st out of 180 countries.
The report states how government officials have abused offices to accumulate wealth, thus causing public mistrust.
Deep down these underserving diplomatic officials know that nothing legal will happen to them because of their political support for the status quo.
For a better foreign service, we must stamp out patronage systems that nurtures gross impunity upon which political corruption triumphs.
Political corruption starts with the presidency exchanging government jobs for partisan political support, which is typical in all semi-democracies, authoritarian and totalitarian regimes around the world.
Article 98 and 99 (3) of the Constitution of the Republic of Uganda vests the executive authority in the president for providing leadership in public policy management.
The president appoints permanent secretaries, ambassadors, commissioners and presidential advisers, among others.
There is nothing wrong with the president appointing top officials in public offices and diplomatic missions, but on what basis are they selected?
Do they academically qualify for positions such as ambassadors? Do they receive any orientation or refresher training?
What is wrong is a patronage system for political support in a multi-party dispensation and democratic country.
Despite Uganda having the Public Service Act of 2008, it seems to be ineffective. The Act has been exploited and disregarded because of political corruption.
The solution could be in slight amendments to article 99 section C and article 98 of the Constitution and reviewing the Public Service Act 2008, among others.
The Foreign Service Act of 2000 also seems to be not fit for contemporary times and needs to be amended to include safeguards against political interference and exploitation.
A public service reform commission could be constituted to streamline, restructure and oversee all appointments and recruitments at all levels in government.
The ministry of public service should carry out reforms and conduct a human resource and a structural forensic audit of the public service, the judicial service, the health service and the parliamentary commission.
I propose that all concerned people join me in the drum beat against political corruption to minimise the country from similar diplomatic crises that jeopardise our national pride, safety for Ugandans in the diaspora, security, bilateral relations and international trade.
Robert Kigongo is a sustainable development analyst.