Rubanda West MP Bruce Balaba wants Parliament to assess Uganda’s diplomatic missions against measurable results, including export markets opened, investments attracted, tourism promoted and protection provided to Ugandans working abroad.
Rubanda West MP Bruce Balaba has urged Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee to strengthen oversight of Uganda’s diplomatic missions, arguing that the country’s foreign policy must deliver measurable economic benefits and better protection for citizens abroad.
Balaba said the committee should assess diplomatic engagements not merely by the activities undertaken by Uganda’s missions overseas, but by the investments attracted, export opportunities secured and commercial partnerships established.
He made the remarks while closing the committee’s orientation retreat, where he commended members for their participation and facilitators for explaining the committee’s mandate and the broader foreign affairs sector.
Balaba said the value of the induction would ultimately depend on how effectively members translated the knowledge gained into legislation, oversight and foreign policy decisions that improve Ugandans’ livelihoods.
“Parliamentary scrutiny must be substantive, not merely procedural,” he said, urging members to pay particular attention to treaties, international agreements and protocols presented for consideration.
He said Parliament should establish whether institutions responsible for implementing international commitments have the capacity and resources to fulfil them, while ensuring that adequate safeguards protect Uganda’s sovereignty and national interests.
On economic and commercial diplomacy, Balaba questioned how effectively Uganda converts its diplomatic presence abroad into tangible economic value.
He called for a clear framework to guide decisions on establishing or closing diplomatic missions, taking into account their contribution to national development.
Under the government’s Tenfold Growth Strategy, he said, Uganda’s missions should play a more deliberate role in identifying export markets, attracting productive investment, promoting tourism, facilitating technology transfer and building commercial partnerships.
“As a committee, we should be interested not only in the activities undertaken by our missions, but also in the opportunities secured, investments facilitated and markets opened. We must encourage clear performance indicators to enable Parliament to assess the economic return on our diplomatic engagements,” Balaba said.
His proposal would require the committee to place greater emphasis on measurable outcomes when scrutinising the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ performance and budget, rather than relying solely on reports of diplomatic activities.
Balaba also called for greater involvement of committee members in the budget process, saying they should understand and take ownership of the annual work plans that inform resource allocation.
He said he had asked the Clerk to Parliament to ensure members were briefed on the previous quarter’s budget performance and forthcoming budget provisions.
The MP also proposed grouping committee members into indicative planning clusters for travel to help monitor performance and organise their contributions to the committee’s work.
He said budget scrutiny should establish whether allocations to foreign affairs institutions were adequate, whether expenditure was efficient and whether public resources were delivering the intended results.
This should include examining the operational needs of Uganda’s diplomatic missions, whose ability to pursue economic interests and provide consular services depends partly on the resources available to them.
Balaba further urged the committee to prioritise the welfare of Ugandans facing difficulties abroad, particularly migrant workers who may require humanitarian, legal or consular assistance.
He said lawmakers should examine whether existing laws and policies adequately protect Ugandans overseas, whether the responsibilities of relevant institutions are clearly defined and whether citizens can access timely assistance when they encounter difficulties.
“Our objective should be to promote safe, orderly and productive labour mobility while ensuring that the rights and dignity of our citizens are protected,” he said.
Balaba also expressed concern over what he described as limited commitment to concluding Uganda’s National Foreign Policy framework, urging committee members to sustain pressure to address the gap.
He encouraged the lawmakers to use the knowledge acquired during the orientation to strengthen scrutiny of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ policies, budget proposals, diplomatic missions, international commitments and consular responsibilities.
“Let's stretch further and study the implementation of various agreements entered into by this country; let's focus on results and make the Foreign Affairs sector relevant in everyday life of our people,” Balaba said.