President Yoweri Museveni has bid farewell to the outgoing Ambassador Fukuzawa Hidemoto and hailed the government of Japan for their contribution to fostering robust diplomatic relations between Uganda and Japan.
President Museveni further highlighted the importance of bolstering economic ties through direct investment, underscoring the potential for further collaboration between the two nations.
“The outgoing Ambassador of Japan, H.E. Fukuzawa Hidemoto visited me at Entebbe yesterday. As he prepares for retirement and the end of his tour of duty, I thank him and the government of Japan for the good diplomatic relations between our two countries. I also emphasized the need for enhanced economic ties through direct investment. I wish him good luck,” Museveni said.
This meeting comes against the backdrop of a long-standing relationship between Uganda and Japan, which recently celebrated 60 years of diplomatic and bilateral relations. Japan has been one of Uganda’s key development partners, contributing significantly to the country’s progress through various projects, including infrastructural developments like the Nile Bridge. The relationship between the two countries has been characterized by mutual cooperation in trade, technology transfer, capacity building, and human resource development, among other areas.
Trade between Uganda and Japan has seen fluctuations, with the balance of trade favoring Japan. However, both nations have shown a keen interest in increasing cooperation, particularly in the areas of trade and technology transfer.
Ambassador Hidemoto, during his tenure, emphasized Japan’s commitment to strengthening this relationship further, pointing to past successes and the potential for future collaborations.
Japan’s engagement with Africa and Uganda in particular, has been facilitated through the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) summits, a forum for dialogue between African leaders and their development partners.
These summits have played a crucial role in defining the priorities for development in Uganda, including infrastructure development, support for refugee responses, and efforts to increase income in rural areas through agriculture.
As Ambassador Hidemoto bids farewell, the foundation he has helped strengthen between Uganda and Japan provides a promising platform for future growth and cooperation.
Museveni’s call for enhanced economic ties through direct investment reflects a forward-looking approach to leveraging this longstanding relationship for mutual benefit. The transition marks a moment of reflection on past achievements and an optimistic outlook toward even greater cooperation between Uganda and Japan in the years to come.
In February when Hidemoto paid a courtesy visit to parliament, Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa told the legislators that the ambassador, who has been his personal friend and fellow golfer, has played a key role in lobbying for funds to develop different sectors in Uganda.
“On a painful note for me personally, Ambassador Hidemoto is leaving Uganda after completing his tour of duty. During his time, he has been able to lobby for the people of Uganda and the government for increased funding for sectors ranging from basic education, university research, infrastructure, and the energy sector. He has touched each and everything,” said Tayebwa.
The Deputy Speaker also said that Japan, through the lobbying of Ambassador Hidemoto, has contributed to the health sector, including the donation of ambulances. Specifically, on infrastructure development, Tayebwa hailed Japan for technology and skills transfer, helping construct modern designs of roads and bridges.
“So, now we have experts from Japan. Experts in highway and flyover designs who have been studying our country and helping us to come up with the most concrete designs for roads, and we know Japan is associated with quality,” added Tayebwa.
The Deputy Speaker, however, declined to grant a motion without notice that was moved by Kira Municipality MP Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda, who wanted Parliament to pass a resolution arguing the government to grant Ugandan citizenship to Ambassador Hidemoto.
Ssemujju, who got support from 3rd Deputy Prime Minister Rukia Nakadama, said that with the good things being said of Hidemoto and his selfless contributions in Uganda, it would be better if he returned and provided leadership.
“We had an ambassador from Germany who was very good to Uganda. He was offered citizenship and even returned to settle here. He even became a presidential advisor. I want us to urge the government to bestow citizenship to the Ambassador (Hidemoto), and it will be up to him to decide. If he returns here, we can even ask him to provide leadership,” argued Ssemujju.
