Uganda’s newly deployed immigration officers have been urged on professionalism in their line of duty.
Earlier this year, the Directorate of Citizenship and Immigration Control (DCICI) deployed six new immigration attaches at Uganda’s foreign missions including Washington DC in USA, London in the UK capital London and Ottawa in Canada.
On Monday, the six begun a five-day induction training at Nile Hotel in Namanve, in preparation for their upcoming deployments to missions abroad.
The training by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, is designed to equip the attaches with diplomatic knowledge and expertise necessary for their roles at various embassies and missions, ensuring they can effectively serve Ugandans.
Speaking during the official opening of the training, the acting Director of Protocol, Consular Services and Public Diplomacy at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Charles Ssentongo urged them to work professionally to ensure the missions operate effectively and efficiently.
“You must work professionally and respectively to ensure that the missions works appropriately and properly. You are going to work under the heads of missions, so our expectations is that you be part of the team, be a facilitator of the team to move forward, don’t join into some of those personal conflicts you find there. Bear in mind that your mission is to provide consular services and immigration services and that’s were you are going to be judged,” Ssentongo urged.
Lt Gen Joseph Musanyufu, the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Internal Affairs, said that the training is crucial for preparing individuals for foreign service roles.
“Before they go, this is an arrangement by foreign affairs to train them, induct them into foreign service, because they will be working at the missions abroad,” he said.
He noted that they will be responsible for handling visa issuance, passport processing, and work permit-related issues for Ugandans in the diaspora.
“The officers are immigration officers who are going outside there to be immigration attaches, handle visa issues, work permits, process passports for Ugandans in the diaspora. And this is the second batch going to missions where we have had officers before.”
He emphasized the importance of maintaining discipline and avoiding any improper actions, so they can serve as exemplary ambassadors of the country.
“When you are joining diplomatic service, you are going to serve the diaspora from the missions, maintain discipline and be good ambassadors of the country.”
The immigration officers
The six immigration attaches undergoing induction training include Patrick Igera deployed as the new immigration attaché for Washington, Catherine Lillian Amalo the new immigration attache for Ottawa ,Anthony Emmanuel Oriam the new immigration attaché for London , Caesar Poteri the new immigration attaché for Abu-Dhabi in United Arab Emirates (UAE), Gloria Musiimenta (Copenhagen) and Juliet Mwesiga( Pretoria).
