Kampala, 7 August 2024 – Igara West MP, Hon. Gaffa Mbwatekamwa, has called on the Ugandan government to urgently address the plight of over 100 Ugandan students stranded in Iran following a deceptive scholarship scheme. The scheme, allegedly coordinated through the Office of the National Chairman of the NRM Party in Kyambogo, promised fully funded study opportunities that turned out to be non-existent upon the students’ arrival in Iran.
“On 10 October 2023, the Office of NRM National Chairman, Kyambogo, wrote an advert requesting all Ugandans who wanted to go to Iran on scholarship for various courses. One hundred students were taken and promised that the scholarship would cover all the costs, but as we talk, when they reached some found that the courses they were told do not exist,” stated Hon. Mbwatekamwa.
In addition to finding their promised courses unavailable, each student had paid US$800 as a travel requirement. The situation has left many students in dire circumstances, with some resorting to living on the streets, and distressingly, some young women have turned to prostitution to survive.
Hon. Abed Bwanika (NUP, Kimaanya-Kabonera Division) shared a personal account to highlight the severity of the issue. “One of my relatives is a victim of the scheme. He was taken to Iran by the same office to study veterinary medicine and was stranded and did not even have transport back. We have just evacuated him. This is a serious matter and it must be investigated,” Bwanika said.
Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs, Hon. Muwada Nkunyingi, emphasized the need for the government to use this crisis as an opportunity to address the diplomatic representation gaps in Iran, which have been evident since the death of former Ugandan Ambassador to Iran, Muhammad Kisambira, in August 2023. “The appointment of an ambassador could be among the remedies necessary to address the plight of Ugandan nationals in Iran,” Nkunyingi suggested.
Responding to these concerns, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jeje Odongo, acknowledged that the allegations were new to him but assured that an investigation would be launched. “I will investigate and provide a substantive statement in the course of the week,” he promised.
Minister Odongo also noted that diplomatic representation gaps exist not only in Iran but in three other missions, including Kenya, following the death of Ambassador Hassan Wasswa Galiwango in January 2023. The government’s swift action on this issue is crucial to ensure the safety and well-being of the affected students and to restore faith in Uganda’s scholarship and diplomatic processes.
