On Wednesday (March 19), the Ugandan delegation on a diaspora policy benchmarking trip in India had fruitful discussions with the Ugandans living and working there.
The Ugandan delegation was led by Ambassador Johnny M. Muhindo, who is the Head of the Diaspora Affairs Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Mohammed Bagonza, the Senior Presidential Advisor on Diaspora Affairs and Head of the State House Diaspora Unit.
The engagement organized by the Ugandan High Commission in New Delhi, led by Prof. Joyce Kakuramatsi Kikafunda, involved Ugandan students at Indian universities and other Ugandans living and working in India.
The delegation heard about the challenges Ugandans face in India, such as the human trafficking of young girls and difficulties in sending money back home because of complications in opening bank accounts.
The Ugandan community in India requested government support to assist in repatriating Ugandans who have overstayed their visas but cannot afford to pay the fines, putting them at risk of facing jail sentences.
During the discussions, the Ugandan diaspora raised several key issues for consideration in the policy, including:
1. Addressing the challenges faced by the diaspora when investing in Uganda.
2. Standardising educational qualifications between Kenya and Uganda.
3. Introducing health insurance schemes to support relatives back home.
4. Assisting migrant workers in distress, including provisions for repatriation.
5. Implementing financial packages to facilitate the sending of money home, with the goal of lowering remittance costs.
The following points were emphasised as essential for developing a comprehensive diaspora policy.
Bagonza, who is also a Senior Presidential Advisor on Diaspora Affairs, praised the diaspora for their contributions to the country’s development.He outlined several initiatives led by the government to enhance service delivery to the diaspora, including the Diaspora Application, which will serve as a one-stop center for all information related to diaspora services; the Diaspora Management and Information System for the registration of all Ugandans living abroad; and a toll-free communication center to promptly address concerns from the diaspora.
He encouraged members of the diaspora to establish associations to facilitate easier access to government support programs. The Ugandan delegation is on a three-day benchmarking visit to the Republic of Kenya, which recently launched its second diaspora policy in 2024. Kenya receives $4.19 billion in remittances from its citizens living abroad.
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