Foreign affairs ministry to hold inaugural Uganda Diaspora Convention

KAMPALA - The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) is set to hold the Inaugural Uganda Diaspora Convention from December 18th – 19th, 2024 at the Commonwealth Speke Resort, Munyonyo in Kampala on the shores of Lake Victoria.

The meeting under the theme, “Mobilizing the Diaspora for Social Development” will among other activities, assess past calendar events of the MoFA and its  40 Missions abroad.

The past activities include: the Uganda North American Association (UNAA), the Uganda-UK Diaspora Convention, the Convention of the Confederation of Ugandans in Southern Africa, and the Uganda-Canadian Convention.

"The members of the Diaspora and the Ministry agreed to organize the Convention to address some of the pertinent issues that affect members of the Ugandan Community that live abroad," states a media release from the Public Diplomacy department. 

MoFA's Permanent Secretary Vincent Bagiire Waiswa, according to the release, says the Uganda Diaspora is an important resource that needs to be included in our National Development Plans.

“The diaspora contributes to the growth of GDP, knowledge and skills transfer and the Government should provide avenues for harnessing their potential,” he adds in the statement issued earlier today Monday, December 16th.

Reports by the UNDP, one of the event’s main sponsors, Uganda’s Diaspora community population is estimated at over two million, many of whom have inadvertently but successfully supported the growth of Uganda’s GDP through their remittances, estimated at over 1.4 billion dollars annually. 

Beyond remittances, the Ugandan Diaspora have been involved in socio-economic transformation projects in the Health Sector, Agriculture, Education, ICT and Financial Services among others.

UNDP resident representative Nwane Vwede-Obahor described the Convention as “an invaluable platform for engagement, exchange of ideas and establishment of partnerships that will benefit both the diaspora and Uganda.”

Pledging the support of the United Nations Development Program in technical, strategic communication and operational support for the Convention, she emphasized that the Diaspora community plays a crucial role in the socio-economic development of nations, through their expertise, remittances, investments and advocacy.

“They have become key drivers of economic growth, innovation and sustainable development,” she said, according to the MoFA release.

Ambassador Johnnie Muthahi Muhindo, the Head of the Diaspora Services Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the Department was established in 2007 to serve as a coordination point for various Diaspora needs, and to draft a National Diaspora Policy, offering a wide range of services to the large population of Ugandans in the Diaspora. “… a National Diaspora Policy will provide a clear framework for collaboration … guiding on how Uganda engages with its diaspora in areas like trade, investment, and technology.”

Discussions scheduled for the Convention include how to facilitate easier and more user-friendly Consular services, for Ugandans abroad, Uganda’s 10-fold economic growth plan, financial and investment opportunities in Uganda, Land protection, Banking, the oil and gas industry, tourism and agro-industrialization.

The Uganda Diaspora Convention, it is envisaged, will become an annual event.