Great memories of Uganda-Donal Cronin.
Celebrating 30 years of Ireland in Uganda - Former Ambassadors' memories.
On 14th July, 1994 the Irish Embassy officially opened in Uganda. This month former Heads of Mission in Uganda share their memories of their time here.
Former Ambassador Donal Cronin knows Uganda better than most diplomats, having spent a total of 11 of his 22 years in the Department of Foreign Affairs in the country.
“In 2002 myself and my now wife Susan were going out together and we were both recruited to the Department of Foreign Affairs. When we were asked if we would go to Uganda as development specialists, we jumped at the chance,” he says. “We were there for seven years and returned to Ireland married and with three children! Our fourth was born in Ireland just after we got home.”
In 2013, the couple found themselves back in Uganda after Donal’s appointment as Head of Development, and then in 2014 as Ambassador. “It was unusual to get the opportunity to go back, and to have so much time in one country. We felt very lucky and all of us, especially our children, still miss Uganda to this day,” he says.
“I took up the post of Ambassador at a very challenging time coming after the misappropriation of €4 million of Irish Aid funds intended for development programmes in northern Uganda, through the Office of the Prime Minister. This made big headlines at the time. The money was returned to Ireland, and those responsible were taken to court, but we had to reorientate our programming in Uganda – and much of our focus was on Karamoja.” said Donal. “We didn’t wish to manage programmes directly on the ground, so we developed a blended programme that gave us an overview of financial management whilst building the capacity of local governments and communities. We wanted to be seen as equal partners and that worked very well.”
For Donal the work in Karamoja, especially in the area of education, is one of his highlights from his time as Ambassador. “Irish support in developing countries is always focused on reaching the furthest behind, and that was our guiding principle in Karamoja. For me the investment in education was transformative. Schools were built through innovative programming, and scholarships given to students to go to school and college. This has had a profound impact on the region and its development. There are now people in Karamoja in senior positions in local government and other areas who benefited through our support. They are now giving back to their communities thanks to the opportunity they got. This investment in education continues today.”
During his time as Ambassador, trade between Ireland and Uganda increased, the political relationship between the two countries deepened and the connection between the Irish and Ugandan people grew stronger.
“A reflection of the strong relationship between both countries is the fact that there is no visa fee required for Irish citizens coming into Uganda and vice versa. When I was Ambassador there was a focus on promoting Irish culture which brought great life to our bilateral relations. We built on the work that had been ongoing since the Embassy first opened in 1994.”
At times there were challenges, he said, with regards to human rights and corruption, and political engagement remained very important in that regard. "It has to be acknowledged also that Uganda stepped up and played an important role in peace and security in the region, for example through the sending of peacekeeping troops to Somalia.”
Donal saw massive progress in the country from the time of his first posting in 2003 to when he left in 2017. “When I arrived in 2002 you could not travel to Karamoja without armed security and protection. Cattle rustling was prevalent and the area was volatile. By the time I left in 2017 the area was secure and development opportunities were flourishing. There was an almost 40% decline in new HIV infections between 2010 and 2021.”
“In northern Uganda in 2005 during the Lord’s Resistant Army (LRA) conflict, 30,000 children were coming into the streets of Gulu from rural areas seeking safety each night, so-called ‘night commuters’. It was tragic. That has all changed now.”
Donal said as a place to bring up a family Uganda was fantastic. All four children – Ruairi (20); Sorcha (18); Kirsty (16) and Cian (14) have terrific memories. The schools they went to had a mix of Ugandan and international kids. “In fact, one of the first words from our daughter Sorcha (18) was in Luganda (a local language)!”
All of Donal’s children began playing basketball in Uganda – in a camp started by Ugandan basketball star Stephen Omwony. His son Ruairi (20) now plays on the Irish under-20 team and is playing basketball in college in the US. Donal said he will never forget the personal warmth of the people of Uganda, and he paid a special tribute to the Ugandan staff in the Embassy, many who have been there for many years. “The local staff were incredible. They were a goldmine and a huge support.” Donal is now based in New York as Deputy Permanent Representative with the Permanent Mission of Ireland to the United Nations.