Norwegian Embassy in Kampala to Close as Part of Foreign Service Reforms

Kampala, Uganda | NOW THEN DIGITAL — The Norwegian Embassy in Kampala, as well as the Consulate General in Guangzhou, China, will be closed as part of structural reforms in the Norwegian Foreign Service. According to the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, these closures are driven by the need to reallocate resources, which will allow for a more focused and effective international engagement serving Norway’s national interests.

While these closures have been confirmed, the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs is redirecting diplomatic staff positions from these missions to bolster staffing in other Norwegian diplomatic and consular missions. This reallocation of resources is part of a broader assessment aimed at optimizing the organization of the Foreign Service to align with Norwegian foreign and development policy priorities.

The closures are part of a larger process to adapt the Foreign Service organization to a changing world. The objective is to have fewer but more robust foreign service missions. To further this goal, additional diplomatic staff will be posted to Norwegian Embassies in Accra, Addis Ababa, Dar es Salaam, Kinshasa, and Nairobi to strengthen Norway’s efforts in critical areas such as food security, business development, and regional security in Africa.

The Norwegian Embassy in Beirut will receive a new diplomatic position dedicated to working with aid to Syria. While the Embassy in Kampala has been important for representing Norway in Uganda and beyond, development cooperation will continue through Norad, the Norwegian development agency, and other missions in the region, which are yet to be determined.

Uganda has had a long-standing partnership with Norway, and the excellent bilateral relations are highly valued. Future cooperation will be managed by Norad and other missions in the region. Despite the changes, Norway remains committed to its development cooperation with Uganda, which includes support through Norwegian and international NGOs, the UN, and other multilateral channels.