The Consulate of Pakistan in Kenya has discredited Angella Katatumba, daughter to late Boney Katatumba as having the legal credentials to represent the Republic of Pakistan in Uganda, describing her as fake and fictitious.
In a March 13 letter authored from the Consulate of Pakistan in Kenya, Uganda’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been notified of the individuals including singer Angella Katatumba who are posturing as operating on behalf of the Consulate of Pakistan in Uganda.
According to the letter, Pakistan’s Consulate in Uganda was closed following the death of businessman and former Consul of Pakistan in Uganda, Boney Katatumba in February last year.
“The so-called Honorary Consulate of Islamic Republic of Pakistan in Uganda is still operating illegally in Uganda,” the notice addressed to the Asia and Pacific Department at Uganda’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs reads in part.
“It [Pakistan Consulate in Uganda] ceased to function with the demise of our Honorary Consul, Mr Boney M Katatumba, government of Pakistan has not yet appointed a new Honorary Consul in Uganda,” the letter adds.
Last year in February, a week after the death of his father, Angella Katatumba posted on her Facebook stating that despite the demise of the dad, the Consulate of Pakistan was still open and that she was in position to offer consular assistance.
“His Excellency Prof. Boney Katatumba’s death was so unfortunate and sudden. However, the Pakistan Consulate remains open. For anything regarding the office, I am available,” Angella posted on February 27.
But according to the Kenyan stationed Consulate of Pakistan, “the Consulate currently operating in Uganda is fake and fictitious, and has no legal authority at all”.
Accordingly, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Uganda has been requested to notify other relevant authorities including Immigration to disregard all forms of consular documents purportedly issued by anyone in the name of the Consulate of Pakistan.
When SoftPower News sought a comment from the Head of Public Diplomacy at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Margaret Kafeero on this issue, she said; “We have never had Angella Katatumba on our list of diplomats in Uganda. Neither has she ever presented to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, letters of credence from the Government of Pakistan appointing her Honorary Consul”.
This website also understands that a designation like that of Consul is person-to-holder and therefore can not be inherited.
The Ministry says that according to protocol, it is neither Uganda nor the Pakistan Consulate in Kampala that determines who becomes the Consul but rather the Pakistani government.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs no notification was received from the appointing authority in Pakistan regarding who would replace the late Boney Katatumba who was Honorary Consul.
