Uganda’s Ambassador to Rwanda, Richard Tumusiime Kabonero, 53, has appreciated the support and hospitality of President Paul Kagame during his stay in the country.
Amb Kabonero was recently transferred to Tanzania after serving ten years as Uganda’s top diplomat in Rwanda.
“I reserve special thanks for the President of Rwanda for his guidance and help during my time here,” said Kabonero.
“His exemplary leadership will always be a source of inspiration for all who serve in this country,” he added.
Kabonero met with Kagame at Urugwiro Village on Monday.
The meeting was attended by Foreign Affairs Minister, Louise Mushikiwabo.
The Ambassador is credited for turning around Uganda’s frosty relations with Rwanda; a move that saw a boost in cross border trade.
When Kabonero took charge of the Uganda High Commission in 2006, the bilateral trade volume stood at $50m per year.
Kagame, Kabonero and Mushikiwabo pose for a group photo
By 2016, the trade was valued at $200m per year.
Kabonero also played a key role in the planning of the Northern Corridor infrastructural projects.
His reign also saw an increase in the number of Rwandan students to Ugandan schools to 1,500 in 2016 from 200 in 2006.
Kabonero went further to reestablish the Association of Ugandans in Rwanda, protecting his natives’ interests in the country.
Taxation and record keeping was eased by the establishment of One-Stop-Border posts at Katuna and Mirama Hills.
In his farewell remarks, Kabonero praised Foreign Affairs Minister Hon Louise Mushikiwabo for her “friendship and unwavering commitment to our bilateral, regional and continental progress.”
Ambassador Kabonero praised Minister Mushikiwabo for her friendship
Amb Kabonero oversaw the construction of a chancery, a magnificent building that saves Ugandan government Shs 400 million in annual rent.
Kabonero goes to Tanzania to oversee critical infrastructural projects including the oil pipeline, Standard Gauge Railway and operations in the Ports of Dar and Tanga which are critical gateways to the sea.
Kabonero, who started work in 1988 as a Customs officer in the revenue authority, would later be appointed Assistant Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kampala.
In 1990, he was sent to Nairobi, Kenya as the 3rd Secretary at the Uganda Mission.
President Museveni would later deploy Kabonero in United States as First Secretary, Economic, Congressional and Press Affairs, Embassy of Uganda, Washington D.C.
It’s through these appointments that Kabonero honed his diplomatic acumen.