US ambassador, Minister Kutesa hold talks as American senators push for sanctions, military aid freeze

Uganda’s foreign affairs minister Sam Kutesa and US ambassador to Uganda Natalie Brown held talks in Kampala a day before two senators Cory Booker and James Risch wrote to secretary of state Antony Blinken calling for a review of relations with Uganda.

Ambassador Brown had called on Minister Kutesa “to discuss matters of bilateral, regional and international concern for the mutual benefit of both countries.”

Although, both the ministry of foreign affairs and the US mission in Uganda did not offer details of the talks, it is common knowledge that some administrators and politicians in the US have been pushing for military aid freeze and sanctions against Kampala over alleged human rights violations.

Last month, Department of State spokesperson Ned Price said the US president Joe Biden and his administration “strongly urge independent, credible, impartial, and thorough investigations into these incidents [of alleged human rights violation” and “We’ll consider a range of targeted options to hold accountable those members of the security forces responsible for these actions.”

The latest to sound bells of sanctions and review of Uganda-US relations are senators Booker and Risch.

The senators also requested information about “US policy toward Uganda” and urged Blinken to “ensure that accountability measures are pursued.”