Ireland-Uganda Relations

Pat Curran was the Chargé d’Affaires when the first Irish diplomatic mission opened in Uganda in 1994, with Ambassador Kevin Kelly the first to present credentials to H.E. President Museveni in 2010. Successive Ambassadors have continued to develop the strong relationship that exists between the Governments of Ireland and Uganda.

This strong relationship has its basis in the excellent work of Irish missionaries, who have supported frontline service delivery in Uganda for over 100 years, most notably in education and health. In fact, hospitals and charity institutes are often known as ‘kevinas’ in reference to Irish missionary, Mother Kevin. Many leading civil servants, politicians and business leaders were educated by Irish missionaries, and more recently many prominent citizens, including the Speaker of the House, Rebecca Kadaga, have benefitted from the Irish Aid Fellowship programme and studied in Ireland.

The Irish Government’s engagement has been predominantly through the development and humanitarian assistance programme, and increasingly we are engaging politically and building supports and connections in trade and investment.