President Museveni has reportedly ordered a massive shakeup of Uganda’s diplomatic footprint, telling the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to slash foreign missions from 38 to just 15.
Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Hon. John Mulimba, made the revelation in Parliament on Wednesday, April 16, 2025, revealing that the President wants a “cost-benefit review” of all missions, with only the most effective ones left standing.
“There’s a clear directive to examine which missions offer the greatest return on investment and to scale down accordingly. This will address the longstanding issues of low staffing and limited presence abroad.” said Mulimba
This explosive revelation came during a heated debate on the sorry state of Uganda’s embassies, which MPs described as underfunded, understaffed, insecure and in some cases, barely functional.
The Foreign Affairs Committee Chair, Hon. Catherine Lamwaka, laid bare shocking gaps in operations, warning that Uganda’s image abroad is suffering. She cited security lapses, unpaid bills, and desperate migrant workers being ignored.
“Many missions don’t even ask for proper protection and instead rely on private guards,” Lamwaka said,
She also revealed that Shs1.2 billion is urgently needed to repatriate Ugandans stuck in New Delhi and Shs367 million for Kuala Lumpur.
Shadow Foreign Minister, Hon. Muwada Nkunyingi, blasted the lack of ambassadors in major countries like Kenya, Canada, and the DRC.
And Kasilo MP, Hon. Elijah Okupa, took aim at the Foreign Service’s broken promotion system: “Some officers recruited 12 years ago haven’t seen a single promotion, despite a presidential directive.”
Bukimbiri’s Eddie Kwizera demanded answers about compensation for Uganda’s vandalized buildings abroad. Meanwhile, Mukono North’s Abdallah Kiwanuka slammed the absence of a clear policy on external labour exportation.
“If we can’t protect our people abroad, why are we still exporting labour?” Kiwanuka thundered.
With Shs238 billion needed to fix staffing, infrastructure, and wages, the big question remains, will Uganda have any embassies left after this clean-up?
