The United States government has declined a request from a group of Ugandan religious leaders, specifically the Kampala Region Overseer for the National Fellowship of the Born-Again Pentecostal Churches of Uganda (NFBPC), Bishop Patrick Musoke, to lift travel restrictions imposed on certain Ugandan government officials. The pastors argue that these restrictions violate the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Bishop Musoke, addressing journalists in Kampala, urged the US government to reconsider the travel restrictions, emphasizing that they impede affected individuals’ freedom of movement. He highlighted Article 13 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which guarantees freedom of movement, and called for the respect of Ugandans’ freedom, values, and human rights.
In response, Ms Lindsey Spector, the spokesperson for the US Mission in Uganda, stated in a December 30, 2023 email that the United States remains committed to using visa restrictions as a tool to counter serious human rights abuses and repressive acts globally. She clarified that the current visa restrictions are aimed at preventing those who undermine democracy or violate human rights from traveling, studying, or conducting business in the United States.
Ms Spector emphasized that the revised policy is targeted at specific individuals responsible for undermining democracy and human rights in Uganda and is not broadly directed at the Ugandan people. However, she refrained from disclosing the names of the affected individuals, citing confidentiality under US law.
The US Secretary of State, Mr Anthony Blinken, had earlier announced on December 4, 2023, that the visa restriction policy is an extension of measures taken in 2021, focusing on individuals who undermined Uganda’s democratic process during the 2021 polls and other related concerns.
Pastor Yunus Mutembe, the spokesperson of the NFBPC, expressed the view that Uganda should stand firm on its anti-gay laws enacted the previous year, asserting that the country should not yield to external pressures regarding the Anti-Homosexuality law.
Mr Asuman Basalirwa, the Bugiri Municipality Member of Parliament, echoed similar sentiments, emphasizing that while the US is a sovereign state, it should respect Uganda’s institutions, laws, and values.
The Ugandan government, represented by Mr Ofwono Opondo, the spokesperson, claimed that they have not received a formal communication from the US government regarding the concerns raised. Mr Godfrey Kabbyanga Baluku, the State Minister for Information Technology and National Guidance, urged the US to present a report on human rights abuses for verification through diplomatic channels.
