MALAC: The U.S watching 2021 election

Deborah Malac, the outgoing American ambassador to Uganda spoke to the press for the last time on Jan.23. She said she had “thoroughly enjoyed her time” and would carry many warm memories of the ‘Pearl of Africa,’ particularly its friendly people, beautiful landscapes and amazing wildlife.  Ronald Musoke attended and captured some of her reflections.

Malac who is retiring from diplomatic work after almost 40 years of service said she was leaving Uganda with several accomplishments in the health, business, education, and security sectors.

The ambassador said the U.S. had helped move Uganda nearer to HIV epidemic control and progress toward the goal of “90/90/90.” The U.S. also helped the country to successfully contain two Ebola outbreaks in the last year alone through strengthened laboratory diagnoses, disease surveillance, vaccination, community sensitization, and investment in its network of treatment units. Uganda has become a champion of the global health security agenda, Malac said.

Yet, Malac said, Uganda still faces many challenges because it is one of the youngest countries by population age. She said Uganda’s continued 6% economic growth rate reflects Ugandan’s entrepreneurial spirit and attractiveness as a destination for foreign investment. But improvement is needed in the bureaucratic processes and corruption.

Malac said she was also happy about U.S investments in the country and the link of Ugandans to markets in America. She said she had laboured tirelessly to help a U.S led consortium win the right to build, operate and maintain Uganda’s first oil refinery.

Within the education sector she said progress had been registered while America pushed hard to force action to end the scourge of gender-based violence.

Malac said America also supported the training, equipping and deployment of nearly 25,000 Ugandan military personnel to Somalia to improve regional security and stability. Malac noted how Uganda continues to be one of the leaders regionally and across the world for its progressive refugee hosting policies.

Malac’s take on:

Best moments

I have lots of good memories. I met incredible Ugandans across Uganda; in rural communities, in urban slums, government offices, and civil society.  I was always struck by the real energy and enthusiasm of people and that made me feel energized and hopeful. Despite the criticism and despite the fact that people did not always agree with what I had to say, you always made me feel at home. That is not something you always find everywhere.

Run-ins with senior government officials

When you are in the public eye, you know that not everybody is going to like you and not everybody is going to say positive things about you. But one thing I have tried to do throughout my career is to be treated with the values that I believe in; to ensure that I stay true to the foreign policy objectives and national interests of the United States. More importantly, it is really the element of being candid because as friends, we have to be able to speak frankly to our partners, otherwise; it leaves a lot of room for misinterpretation. I don’t know how to do my job any other way. People are entitled to their opinion but you have to learn and build a thick skin over time. I figure if some people are happy and others are unhappy about what I have said and what I have done then I must be doing my job right.

2021 general election

Obviously the world will be watching what happens in the 2021 elections. Given what occurred in 2016 (and I am not talking about the outcome); the many irregularities, the reports of inappropriate actions from the actors, if that happens again in 2021, and to be frank there are a lot of us who are concerned that that is exactly where we are headed, this will be yet another stain on Uganda’s image. We continue to urge the Electoral Commission to fulfill its mandate; to do what it is designed to do. We understand the political environment, not just in Uganda, but in other countries where you have regimes that have been in power for a very long time. It becomes more and more likely that manipulation of the electoral process will happen even if it does not necessarily have to happen. We are gonna closely watch this election. We will continue to invest in helping building the capacity of civil society and Ugandans to be able to participate and understand their role as citizens.