The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Vincent Bagiire Waiswa, says Uganda’s missions must increasingly be judged by their contribution to the country’s economic diplomacy agenda rather than by protocol activity alone, and that going forward, their funding will be pegged to measurable results.
He says Uganda is at a point where diplomacy must not only be felt in communiqués and meetings, but in factories opened, tourists received, exports increased, and jobs created back home.
Bagiire was quoted in a statement from the ministry during a week-long mid-term review retreat for Uganda’s 13 missions in Europe and the Americas, which ended last week in Frankfurt, Germany.
Bagiire said in the current financial year (2025/2026), 34 Uganda missions abroad received funding amounting to Shs113.25 billion, and tasked the missions to identify key opportunities for attracting foreign direct investment, trade and tourism, and how best to position Uganda to harness those opportunities.
The retreat was held in conjunction with the Ministry of Finance, Planning, and Economic Development under the theme “Unlocking Africa’s trade and investment potential from the interventions of ECD,” while discussions were grounded in economic indicators that illustrated both progress and urgency.
It emerged that in 2025, Uganda attracted $3.5 billion (about Shs13 trillion) in foreign direct investment, while tourism generated $1.5 billion (about Shs5.5 trillion) from 1.64 million international visitors.
