{UAH} Kutesa on collision path with Museveni-crime partners!
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Kutesa on collision path with Museveni
- March 10, 2021
- Written by OUR STAFF WRITER
The year 2020 will go down as the toughest year ever for Uganda-West relations. The matters were exacerbated by the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, but also a lucklustre attitude of Foreign Affairs minister, Sam Kutesa.
An insider's account indicates that Kutesa appears withdrawn and this has plummeted Uganda's relations and image to an all-time low especially in regard to European Union and America. Matters are not helped that Kutesa's bevy of diplomats in the key capitals where the country's image is most battered, are involved in financial impropriety and sex scandals.
In Denmark, the ambassador and his deputy were in August recorded in a Zoom meeting discussing how to stealthily share among themselves the money to rescue stranded Ugandans. The ambassador Nimisha Madhvani, her deputy and other staff members were heard devising a plot to share out this money.
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The ministry of Foreign Affairs has never denied nor confirmed this scandal, but the Permanent Secretary Patrick Mugoya told the press then that the concerned officers had been recalled pending investigations. In the Zoom meeting, the diplomats appear to suggest that instead of registering the money for Covid-19 use, it should be apportioned as an allowance over eight days for the diplomats.
The Observer has been informed that the minister has not taken any disciplinary action against the officials. In South Africa, one of the male diplomats attached to that station, may have his diplomatic immunity revoked and tried for rape or declared unwanted person in South Africa.
Kutesa has been at the political helm of the ministry since 2005 and it is alleged, he has never convened a meeting of Uganda's ambassadors and high commissioners.
"These ambassadors do not know each other. Not only that; but also the officers really don't know what they are supposed to do, especially the political appointees," a source said.
The source added that the minister is aloof and a complete departure from the previous ministers such as the late James Wapakhabulo, who gave unwavering support to the diplomats whenever they needed guidance and support to execute certain assignments.
Kutesa's style of interaction with diplomats accredited to Uganda is restricted to exchanging correspondences as opposed to physical meetings. President Yoweri Museveni Museveni has been a darling of the West and one time he was favorably described as "among a new breed of African leaders."
In his nearly four decades rule, Museveni has projected himself as the peace enforcer in the surrounding regions of East and Central Africa. In 2007, Uganda partnered with the United States in working to quell terrorism, deploying more than 6,200 troops to the African Union mission in Somalia (ANISOM) that is battling the Qaeda-linked group al-Shabab.
Every year, the United States alone gives more than $970 million to Uganda, supporting the military, the education and agricultural sectors, among others. But as President Museveni continued to curry favor with the West, his government fell prey to the very ills that it ought to fight.
Between October 2020 and through January 2021, the world witnessed the worst security crackdown on the opposition under the guise of enforcing Covid-19 guidelines. The Western donors have criticized President Museveni for this hostility against civilians and the opposition.
Last month, Uganda again featured negatively before the European Union Parliament in Brussels, where the MPs suggested visa sanctions against Ugandan officials involved in the gross human rights abuse and harassment of opposition leaders.
EXCESSIVE FORCE
The EU parliament described the January 14 general elections in Uganda as neither democratic nor transparent. They also condemned the excessive use of force by the police and armed forces during the election and their growing interference in political affairs.
Further, the parliament passed a resolution which condemned the violence, continued harassment and systematic crackdown on political opposition leaders in Uganda, as well as the suppression of civil society.
"All those arrested and detained for participating in peaceful political assemblies or for exercising their right to freedom of expression and association must be released immediately and unconditionally and have their charges dropped," the resolution said.
The parliament also proposed that sanctions against individuals and organisations responsible for human rights violations in Uganda must be adopted under the new EU human rights sanction mechanism, the EU Magnitsky Act.
In the aftermath of the January 14 general election, the US state department also expressed its concerns about the continued harassment of opposition leaders.
A source told The Observer, that ordinarily, Uganda's ambassador to EU, Mirjam Blaak would have done some diplomatic work to salvage the image of Uganda if the ministry was well coordinated.
The United States of America, is also troubled by the spate of violence and harassment that has been meted out on the opposition leader, especially the National Unity Platform (NUP) president Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu and his supporters. A statement from the US Department which was published in the New York Times after the announcement of President Museveni's victory in the January 14 general elections condemned the conduct of security forces during the election process.
"We are deeply troubled by the many credible reports of security force violence during the pre-election period and election irregularities during the polls," said spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus in the statement.
"We reiterate our intention to pursue action against those responsible for the undermining of democracy and human rights in Uganda."
Further the state department told The New York Times that: "We have significant concerns about Uganda's recent elections. The United States has made clear that we would consider a range of targeted options, including the imposition of visa restrictions, for Ugandan individuals found to be responsible for election-related violence or undermining the democratic process." The "conduct of the Ugandan authorities during those elections," the statement read, "is one factor that will be considered as we make determinations on future U.S. assistance."
Such negative portrayal of Uganda in the foreign press has made President Museveni concerned about his Foreign Affairs minister who seems to be sleeping on the job. As a consequence, the president has turned to some senior diplomats to execute what the minister was meant to do.
This has put one senior officer and Kutesa on the collision course with the latter suspecting that the former might take his job in May. But the senior officer denies interest in the job.
In order to resuscitate the thawing relationship between President Museveni and donors, the former has been meeting with foreign diplomats. These meetings have been organised by the senior diplomat on the request of the president. On December 27, 2020, President Museveni met with US ambassador Natalie E Brown at the president's country home in Rwakitura.
In a tweet, Museveni described the meeting, which was graced by Uganda's ambassador to United Nations, Adonia Ayebare, as "private". "Thanks ambassador for your time," said Museveni.
BILATERAL RELATIONS
However, Natalie said on Twitter that he met with President Museveni on December 27 for "an open exchange on bilateral relations and conditions needed for Uganda's growth and to attract private sector investment, which include free, fair, inclusive, and peaceful elections, as well as a vibrant civil society."
This meeting came after the then outgoing Secretary of State Mike Pompeo tweeted that they were closely watching the actions of individual in Uganda in the electoral process.
"The United States is a longstanding partner of Uganda. We expect our partners to live up to their obligations to hold free and fair elections," said outgoing Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, adding, "We are paying close attention to the actions of individuals who seek to impede the ongoing democratic process."
Another meeting with the British High Commission to Uganda Kate Airey and the EU delegation to Uganda was also organized by the same diplomat. The EU delegation discussed the impasse about the suspension of Democratic Governance Facility (DGF).
President Museveni had ordered the minister of finance to suspend the operation of DGF as Uganda had not been represented
on its board.
As a consequence of that meeting, a government committee headed by the Prime Minister Ruhakana Ruganda was appointed to discuss the president's conerns with DGF. Efforts to clarify these matters with the minister of Foreign Affairs were futile as the minister never answered our calls.
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