KAMPALA, Uganda
Uganda has hired an international public relations firm, Mercury International UK Limited, a subsidiary of Mercury Public Affairs, to improve its image on the international scene.
Documents seen by URN show that when Uganda hired Mercury
International UK Limited, it subcontracted its mother firm Mercury Public
Affairs to do the job. This signals that the focus of lobbying will be mainly
in the US.
Mercury submitted its agreement with the subsidiary to the
US Justice Department on April 26, 2021. In the USA, the Foreign Agents
Registration Act (FARA) requires lobbyists of foreign
governments “who are engaged in political activities or other activities
specified under the statute to make periodic public disclosure of their
relationship with the foreign principal, as well as activities, receipts and
disbursements in support of those activities.”
It’s the Counterintelligence and Export Control
Section (CES) unit of the National Security Division (NSD) in the Department of
Justice that oversee lobbyists of foreign governments.
“Registrant is providing strategic consulting, government
relations, lobbying, and media relations consulting and management services,”
the contract says.
“The term of this Agreement shall begin on April 22, 2021,
and will continue in effect until May 21, 2021. The term of this agreement
shall automatically continue every month thereafter unless terminated in
accordance herewith,” it further reads.
The UK firm will be paying the US firm on a monthly basis
for services rendered, the agreement says. It doesn’t reveal the amount that
Uganda will be paying. The government through (Mercury International Relations
UK Ltd) is listed as the foreign principal.
The listed address of the foreign principal is 25497
Kampala Road, Kampala Uganda. This address belongs to State House. This was a
haste move, coming a week after US Secretary of State, Antony John
Blinken slapped visa restrictions against unnamed Uganda officials over
human rights violations orchestrated during and after the 2021 elections.
“The government of Uganda must significantly improve its
record and hold accountable those responsible for the flawed election conduct,
violence and intimidation,” Blinken said.
He further warned; “the US government will continue to
evaluate additional actions against individuals complicit in undermining
democracy and human rights in Uganda as well as their immediate family
members.”
Interestingly, in 2018, Museveni said lobbyists had gone to
him to offer public relations that he did not need; "People come here
saying they want to be my PR. I don’t need PR, I’m Yoweri Museveni, son of
Kaguta, General of the resistance army, I don’t need any polishing."
Though the government has been bullish in public, hastily
hiring an international PR firm is indicative that privately, it’s upping its
tactics of restoring its reputation that has been in free-fall during election
season.
After the visa restrictions were announced, Foreign Affairs
state minister Okello Oryem said “we will not lose sleep, be shaken or demoralized.”
And when asked about hiring the PR firm for lobbying, Oryem
argued that it’s not strange.
“My brother, all countries across the world hire private
companies and institutions to do work for them including what you’re saying
(lobbying). There is nothing unusual,” he said.
Uganda’s government faced a barrage of criticisms from
international human rights organizations and donor governments over the
electoral process and abductions of opposition supporters.
Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine, who was the leading
opposition presidential candidate got favourable coverage in the foreign
press.
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