In a surprising turn of events, the Government of Uganda has opened a new embassy in Vienna, Austria, just days after Parliament was informed of plans to drastically reduce the number of foreign missions from 38 to 15.
The announcement came on Monday, July 21, as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs formally launched its new diplomatic mission in Vienna. The embassy will also serve as Uganda’s Permanent Mission to United Nations-based organizations headquartered in the Austrian capital.
All Ugandan embassies are opened by an executive decision of Cabinet presided over by President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni.
The Vienna mission is currently headed by Chargé d’Affaires Amb. Dora, supported by staff from the Berlin Mission led by Amb. Stephen Mubiru.
A delegation from Kampala, led by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Vincent Bagiire and accompanied by Principal Human Resource Officer Ms. Isabella Nakalema, visited the new mission to assess progress in operationalization.
Also present at the opening were Woling Anthony Agama , Minister Counsellor in Berlin, and Ms. Anne Nabasa Baguma.
The PS and the team held strategic engagements with officials from the Austrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
According to the Ministry, the discussions focused on deepening bilateral cooperation, exploring areas for technical support, signing future Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs), and securing reciprocal support on international candidatures and policy positions.
On Tuesday, 22 July 2025, the delegation met Austrian Ministry of Internal Affairs officials to discuss migration and is also expected to hold talks with the Deputy Director General of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO).
The timing of the embassy’s opening has sparked public curiosity, coming just five days after Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Hon. John Mulimba told Parliament that President Museveni had directed a cost-benefit review of Uganda’s foreign missions with the intention of reducing their number to “around 15” to address staffing gaps and rising operational costs.
This raises questions about whether the Vienna mission was part of a strategic realignment or an exemption based on Austria’s role as a multilateral diplomatic hub. Vienna hosts several critical international agencies including the IAEA, UNIDO, and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
While the Ministry has yet to clarify how this move fits within the cost-reduction directive, insiders suggest that Vienna’s global diplomatic importance may have warranted its elevation from oversight under the Berlin mission to full embassy status.
