Early last year (2023) President Yoweri Museveni directed that another unit be created under State House to specifically handle issues of the many Ugandans living in the Diaspora.
The unit is headed by Mr Mohammed Bagonza and deputized by Mr Henry Wabyona.
The mandate of the two unit leaders is to carry out various activities, including facilitating the engagement of the Diaspora with the government on issues of mutual interest; providing information and services on government policies, programmes, and investment opportunities and coordinating the flow of communication with relevant government agencies.
“We value the humongous contribution of Ugandans living abroad in the economic development of our great nation and it is, therefore, our duty to ensure that they are not left behind during the planning process and implementation of various projects,” Mr Bagonza said in an interview.
“The Diaspora Unit recognizes that entrepreneurship and business are critical drivers of economic growth and development, and we are committed to providing support to our people who are interested in starting or scaling their businesses in Uganda,” he added.
“To that end, our Business Advisory service is designed to provide guidance and support to our entrepreneurs living abroad, from ideation stage to actualization.”
According to Mr Bagonza, the Business Advisory service also offers a range of services to support entrepreneurs, which include market research, feasibility studies, legal and financial advice, partner matching, business planning, access to finance, and regulation compliance, among other services.
It should be noted that Ugandans living abroad send home more shs4 trillion every year and this is a huge boost to the economy. The unit will carry out research and provide information regarding possible investment ventures.
The Unit recognizes that the community is a vast pool of talent, innovation, and creativity that can help drive the country’s development.
“Therefore, we have made it a priority to match and link their ideas and concepts to existing government initiatives and programs. This way, we can harness their full potential to contribute to the country’s growth and development,” Mr Bagonza said.
Since the Diaspora Unit recognizes the importance of increased participation of the Ugandan Diaspora community in shaping the political and economic landscape of the country, the unit offers a Lobbying and Advocacy service that focuses on advocating for inclusion in national affairs.
“We engage government institutions, policymakers, and relevant stakeholders to lobby for policies and programs that support Diaspora participation, including citizenship rights, voting rights, and access to information.”
“We aim to create a platform where the voices and perspectives of the Diaspora community are effectively integrated into national development initiatives,” Mr Bagonza who is also Senior Presidential Advisor to H.E. the President noted.
In addition, the Diaspora Unit recognizes that the Ugandan Diaspora community has an immense potential to contribute to the country’s economic growth and development through trade and investment. Therefore, it offers Trade and Investment Facilitation services..
“Our Trade and Investment Facilitation service is designed to provide support and guidance regarding investment opportunities, export promotion, market identification, and other relevant areas,” the Senior Presidential Advisor elaborated.
Helping returnees to settle in
Returning to Uganda after living abroad can be a challenging experience for many community members. The Diaspora Unit understands these challenges and the difficulties that returnees face when readjusting to life in Uganda. The Unit thus offers Return Migrants Advisory and Support Service to help ease the transition for returnees.
It should be noted that having accurate and reliable data is of great importance. Therefore, the unit will soon create a Diaspora Database service that aims to collect and maintain comprehensive data about Ugandan Diaspora, which includes identification, personal information, location, skills set, and interests, among other relevant information.
“Through the Diaspora Database service, we aim to create an online platform where the Diaspora community can access and share information about their community members, businesses, skills, and interests. This platform is designed to facilitate networking and collaboration among the Diaspora community and provide government agencies and stakeholders with an invaluable resource in the areas of trade, investment, and development,” Mr Bagonza noted.
As mentioned earlier, the unit was created to provide a link between the Ugandan community living abroad in terms of information, trade and investment opportunities as well providing the necessary assistance as and when it is needed.
