By Monitor Reporter
The Speaker of Parliament of Uganda, Ms Rebecca Kadaga, has appealed to Ugandans in the diaspora to abandon the idea of shunning the countries embassies on the basis of disliking their government.
Addressing the 31st Uganda North American Association (UNAA) Convention and Trade Expo in Chicago, Ms Kadaga said both government and diaspora would be acting out of ignorance if they shunned one another.
Ms Kadaga said such a mind set is unhelpful since some individuals only differ with the ruling party on political opinions.
She told the diaspora community that the first page of each of their passports points out that the travel document(s) had been given to them under the authority of the incumbent President, whether they supported him/her or not.
The Speaker said registering with Uganda’s embassies would foster consular services alongside information on investment opportunities.
Uganda has two ambassadors accredited to the United States; one in Washington DC, the capital, and the other as a Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York.
Ms Kadaga also said some Ugandans were being mistreated in a few Middle East countries because they neither left through legal avenues nor understood what is labeled on their passports.
“However, you cannot divorce yourselves from government,” she said.
Ms Kadaga added that Parliament’s view was that jobs abroad should be procured by government as opposed to unilateral arrangements by the private sector.