Uganda’s Envoy to Rwanda Dead

Uganda’s envoy to Rwanda is dead, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) has announced. Ambassador Santa Laker Kinyera was Uganda’s Deputy High Commissioner in Kigali at the time of her passing.

Ambassador Santa Laker Kinyera was pronounced dead at the Mulago Specialized National referral hospital.

Her death ended the career of a diplomat which Ambassador Santa Laker Kinyera began in 1994.

“It is with profound shock and sorrow that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announces the passing of our dear colleague Amb. Santa Laker  Kinyera which occurred this morning at Mulago Specialized National referral hospital,” the ministry announced.

“Amb. Kinyera joined the MoFA in 1994 as a career diplomat and rose through the ranks.  She has been serving as Uganda’s Deputy High Commissioner in Kigali.  Details of funeral arrangements will be shared in due course.”

Ambassador Santa Laker Kinyera Profile

She graduated from Makerere University with a BA Honours degree before enrolling for a Master’s of Social Science in Development and International Relations at Aalborg University and a Post-Graduate Diploma in Public Administration and Management.

Kinyera has worked in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ugandan missions abroad in various capacities.

Between 1995 and 1999, she worked in the Africa and Middle East Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where she specialised in handling bilateral and regional integration matters. She was also a core member of the Ugandan delegation during the negotiations preceding the establishment of the East African Community Treaty.

In 1998, she was the Special Assistant to the Minister of State for Regional Cooperation. In 2000, she was a member of the inter-ministerial Team set up for the return of Ugandan children abducted to Sudan by the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA).

From 2002 to 2007, Kinyera served as Second Secretary and later as First Secretary at Uganda’s mission in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Between 2007 and 2009, Ambassador Santa Laker Kinyera headed the IGAD and Horn of Africa Division at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, during which period she was also Uganda’s Focal Point for IGAD matters.

She also participated in various peace initiatives under the auspices of the AU and IGAD for the resolution of the conflicts in Sudan and Somalia.

In 2009, Kinyera was seconded to the State House of Uganda, where she served as Private Secretary to His Excellency the President of Uganda, in charge of diplomatic affairs and also as Head of the Diplomatic Affairs Department in the State House.

She held these responsibilities until 2011, when she was given the mandate to go and open Uganda’s Embassy in Ankara, Turkey. She served as Counsellor and the first Charge d’Affaires a.i of Uganda’s Embassy in Ankara.

Ambassador Santa Laker Kinyera represented Uganda at different multilateral and regional fora, including the East Africa Community (EAC), Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC), African Union (AU) and Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD).

The death of Ambassador Santa Laker Kinyera happens at a time when Rwanda’s army RDF and top military officials are facing sanctions, as reported Here and There.

You can also read about the death of former Museveni teacher Here.