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The Ugandans in North America held
their annual convention a few days ago. Whoever conceived the idea must have been a great
thinker as the Ugandan Diaspora in North America turned out to be
the best organised Diaspora organisation in North
America, which holds an annual convention.
Much has already been written about the 18th convention
that was held in the first weekend of September at Marriott Hotel
in Brooklyn, New York. As Dr Opiyo Oloya put it in his column in
the New Vision, the New York Convention was the most highly
attended convention. I commend the chairperson of the organising
committee, Mr Edward Wanda, who also
happens to be the vice chairperson of NRM in USA.
Some hitches notwithstanding, they did a commendable job. I was
told that some people decampaigned the event calling it an NRM
affair but the bad mouthing was ignored by the numbers that turned
up.
This time round
Anne Mugisha didnt try her demonstrations as attempts at the last
two conventions showed that the Ugandan community was least
interested in her antics. She had ended up demonstrating
alone. With the large numbers turning out for the
convention the organisers need to pay more attention to the
forthcoming conventions. They may need the services of event
managers.
At these conventions Ugandans from
various political, social, gender and tribal backgrounds come
together all united by the fact that they are Ugandans. That is
why I salute those who started the idea of Ugandans in North
America congregating. There are many Ugandans in many parts of the
world but its only those in North America who hold an annual
event, which brings many of them together.
The UK Diaspora is starting something
similar. At these conventions one realises that Ugandans out there
have not forgotten their culture. They speak their local dialects
and at these gatherings many friends within the Ugandan community
including children who normaly communicate on phone and emails get
time to meet, which is in itself a noble thing to do. Also
different forums on politics, business, youth, health etc, are
organised where different speakers are invited to make
presentations on various topics and the participants ask questions
or make comments.
There are also booths where some
members of the business community display their trade. This time
round you had Bank of Uganda, Nile Bank, DFCU, National Housing
and Construction Corporation, Akright Uganda Ltd, Housing Finance
Company and Ugandan artists displaying their trade. Most of the
companies above were represented by their top executives. Those in
housing were interested in attracting Ugandans in the Diaspora to
buy their houses, while the banks want Ugandans to remit money
through them and offering mortgage to buy houses.
Bank of Uganda interested Ugandans to
buy securities. There were other private sector participants like
Mr Gordon Wavamunno, Mr Bob Kabonero, Mr Kibirige of Hotel
Africana, Franco Mugabe, Hajji Katongole of UTODA, lawyers William
Byaruhanga and Charles Odere and many others I may not have
noticed.
On the political side, government was
represented by ministers; Dr Beatrice Wabudeya, Prof. Tarsis
Kabwegyere, Dorothy Hyuha, Eng. Hilary Onek, Henry Okello and
other non-ministers including myself, Ugandan ambassadors at the
UN and Washington and my colleague Peace Mutuuzo.
On the opposition parties there was
Mzee Ssebaana Kizito, the DP President General, leading the DP
delegation and UPC Vice President Okello Okello. The FDC didnt
have official representation.
The organisers said that FDC were
contacted but no one was sent. On the government side, apart from
members of the delegation participating in various fora, the
President made a speech that was read by Wabudeya at the closing
dinner. In his speech, the President
reminded UNAA members that in 2004 when he personally attended the
convention in Seattle, USA, the Ugandan community requested him to
solve the issue of dual citizenship, and the immigration problems
they face. He said he wasnt a bad listener and when he came back,
on behalf of Ugandans in the Diaspora, he mobilised the 7th
Parliament and accordingly article 15 of the constitution was
amended to allow dual citizenship.
Now a Ugandan can acquire a citizenship
of another country and retain a Ugandan citizenship. Also a
citizen of another country may acquire Ugandan citizenship and
retain the citizenship of the country of origin. What is remaining
now is for Parliament to pass a law putting the constitutional
amendment into effect.
Ugandans in the Diaspora have been
craving for dual citizenship. Thanks to President Museveni who listens, their dream has
now become a reality. With time some Ugandans had
acquired citizenships of other countries and under the old legal
regime, they painfully ceased being Ugandans. Will those Ugandans
who had ceased Ugandan citizenship apply for Ugandans citizenship
as foreigners from other countries seeking Ugandans citizenship?
Under the current legal regime the
answer is yes since such people ceased being Ugandans. My advice
is that while passing a law to effect dual citizenship, Parliament
should put in a proviso allowing Ugandans who had acquired
citizenships of other countries, which made them lose Ugandan
citizenship, regain their Ugandan citizenship not as foreigners.
The President informed UNAA that he
had directed the ministry of foreign affairs to study the
immigration problems they face and liaise with the US government
in solving them.
The
ministry has also been directed to create a desk to handle
Diaspora matters. This will go along way to address the concerns
of the Diaspora constituency which remits about $1b annually to
our economy, the largest export earning. Part of the reason of these remittances is
the confidence of stability back home. If only we
can have a more organised system through which Uganda can export
labour. There are countries, which earn more than $10b from their
Diaspora community.
The author is Special Presidential
Assistant on Political
Affairs
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