Uganda

Crossroads at the Vatican See

The Horn of Africa is one of the Catholic Church’s strongest regions, home to between 120 and 140 million faithful. With the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya acting as anchors, the Holy See treats this corridor as strategically important.

For Uganda’s newly appointed Ambassador to the Vatican See, Dr Tony Ssembatya-Kimbowa, this is not simply a matter of faith. It is diplomatic leverage. The Vatican’s reach offers access and influence that many secular institutions cannot match, opening doors to conversations others struggle to start.

His appointment, however, comes at a delicate moment. Uganda’s proud Catholic history sits alongside a present marked by shrinking civic space and tighter political control. Dr Ssembatya-Kimbowa steps in not just as a diplomat, but as a thinker and reform-minded leader. The question is whether he can help shift the Vatican’s role from symbolic partnership to practical engagement.

The Vatican as neutral ground

In divided societies, the Vatican often provides rare neutral ground. Its moral authority allows it to convene dialogue where politics alone cannot. With one of the world’s oldest diplomatic networks, the Holy See engages both governments and religious leaders. This quiet, trust-based diplomacy can sometimes achieve more than formal negotiations.

That matters for Uganda. While the country remains relatively stable, it faces growing political polarisation, tighter limits on freedoms and persistent ethnic tensions linked to land, history and power. These pressures tend to surface most sharply around elections and can quickly escalate.

A diplomat shaped by service

A former Friedrich Naumann Foundation scholar, Dr Ssembatya-Kimbowa has built his career around public service. His work supporting children and young girls, alongside his academic background in sociology and international relations, has earned him respect beyond party lines. He is both a practitioner and a policy thinker, someone comfortable moving between communities and decision makers. That combination may prove valuable in a role that requires trust from all sides.

It also raises an important question. Can the Vatican help ease Uganda’s political stalemate where regional and multilateral efforts have struggled?

Rebuilding political dialogue

Uganda urgently needs a culture of genuine political dialogue and fair competition. Although laws and institutions exist on paper, their application often appears shaped by the interests of those in power. Public life has become more confrontational, with religious language sometimes used to justify force and loyalty rather than accountability.

General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, Chief of Defence Forces and son of President Yoweri Museveni, frequently frames his role in spiritual terms, describing the army as acting under divine direction. Such rhetoric risks blurring the line between faith and authority.

A stronger relationship with the Vatican could help soften this tone. The Church’s moral standing may encourage restraint, responsibility and a more grounded approach to leadership. Dr Ssembatya-Kimbowa’s largely non-partisan profile gives him a rare advantage. Seen as a technocrat rather than a political actor, he may be able to convene conversations others cannot.

Protecting women and girls

Another urgent challenge is the trafficking of women and girls. Uganda has one of the youngest populations in the world. Each year, more than 24,000 women and girls leave for domestic work in the Middle East. For many, it is not opportunity but desperation driven by poverty, unemployment and violence.

Too often, the result is abuse or death. The Uganda Human Rights Commission recorded 28 migrant deaths in a single year. In response, the Catholic Church has stepped beyond pastoral care into active advocacy. Through local parishes and community networks, it works to educate families, disrupt trafficking routes and press government to do more. Its message is simple. Protecting vulnerable women requires real economic options at home, not just awareness campaigns. Given his track record, Dr Ssembatya-Kimbowa could help amplify these efforts and push for stronger protections.

A tenure to watch

Diplomacy works both ways. It promotes national interests abroad while bringing new ideas and pressure home. Dr Ssembatya-Kimbowa’s success will not be measured by ceremony or symbolism, but by results. If he can turn the Vatican’s moral authority into practical influence, this posting could help open space for dialogue, accountability and dignity in Uganda. That would be a quiet achievement, but a significant one.