I'm here to fix issues at Foreign Affairs, Ayebare says

What the report says

Ambassador Adonia Ayebare has taken over as Uganda’s Foreign Affairs Minister and said his priority is to resolve administrative and operational problems at the ministry. According to Nile Post, he made the remarks during his first briefing at the ministry headquarters in Kampala after being sworn in at State House in Entebbe earlier in the week.

Ayebare, who has previously served in the ministry and later as Uganda’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York, said his background gives him a clear view of what needs fixing. He called for faster support from headquarters to Uganda’s missions abroad, better coordination, and stronger accountability for ambassadors and high commissioners. He also warned that internal disputes at diplomatic missions can undermine Uganda’s image and efforts to advance trade, investment and relations with host countries.

A major theme of his message was economic diplomacy. Ayebare urged missions to be more proactive in attracting investors, saying Uganda had succeeded in drawing major companies during his time in New York despite limited resources. He also said the ministry should focus on the basics of diplomacy: building and maintaining relationships, protecting Ugandans abroad and working more closely with other government agencies on issues such as climate change, global health and carbon credit talks.

Outgoing acting minister Haruna Kyeyune Kasolo also used the handover to call for better coordination between missions and headquarters, especially in tracking investment leads and managing economic diplomacy funds. He said poor information sharing has made it harder to show the ministry’s contribution to Uganda’s development.