Senate vets Mugambage, Ndangiza for new Embassy posts

PARLIAMENT - Senate yesterday unanimously approved the appointment of Major General Frank Mugambage and Fatuma Ndangiza as the new ambassadors to Uganda and Tanzania respectively. Mugambage who has until recently been Director of Cabinet in the Office of the President, will replace Ignatius Kamali Karegyesa who was posted to South Africa. Ndagiza has been hitherto the Executive Secretary of the National Unity and Reconciliation Commission (NURC). The two were approved after the head of the senatorial committee on political affairs, Dr. Joseph Karemera told the Senate that the committee approved the appointment of the two based on their vast experience and academic qualifications. He later recommended that the Upper Chamber confirms their appointments. Karemera said: “they are being sent to countries they know very well…Mugambage lived and worked in Uganda for many years.” “They have a clear vision of what they are supposed to do,” said Karemera. During the same session, the Senate noted that Antoine Munyakazi JURU who, a decade ago, had been approved when he was appointed as ambassador to DR Congo and has now been posted to Japan, did not need to be vetted again since he had already been confirmed. Meanwhile, the committee also presented a report on last year’s parliamentary elections noting that the polls were well planned and conducted. Karemera said that the committee was happy with the high level participation of women in the electoral process. He further noted that all the major political parties in the country had fully participated in the electoral process. The report also commended the participation of category three genocide convicts who were given the opportunity to vote during the elections. However it was also noted that lower local authorities were not well informed about laws governing the electoral process adding that this situation also obtains in some of the political parties. Ends