New US Envoy to Uganda William Popp ready for work as Natalie Brown bids farewell

Mrs Brown has served as the US envoy in Uganda for the past three years, having replaced Deborah Malac in November 2020.

Mr Popp on the other hand, just concluded his mission in Guatemala in Central America.

With over 23 years in Foreign Service, Popp has been envoy in Brazil, and Kenya and has also served in other positions at the US Missions in Colombia, Angola, and Nicaragua.

Yesterday, Tuesday, August 29, Popp held a meeting with the Ugandan Ambassador to the US, HE Robbie Kakonge in Washington DC, as part of the preparations for his Ugandan Mission.

Kakonge said during the meeting, Popp emphasized Uganda’s leadership in security and public health.

Earlier, the new envoy also met with the leadership of the US Africa Business Center where he discussed U.S. priorities and commercial collaboration in Africa.

Following his nomination by President Joe Biden to serve in Uganda, Popp expressed optimism about advancing US bilateral goals with Uganda and furthering our regional objectives. 

“Our relationship with Uganda has advanced important U.S. interests over the years, including working together through PEPFAR and other U.S. health programs to save millions of lives from HIV/AIDS, Ebola, and other health threats,” he said.

During his tour, he promised to seek to create more opportunities that generate jobs, advance the rule of law, transparency, good governance, and respect for human and labor rights for all Ugandans to achieve the full potential of democracy.

Meanwhile, as she signed out of Uganda, the outgoing envoy Natalie Brown commended the country’s efforts in combating security threats on Ugandan borders and in the neighborhood. 

In her sign-out Op-Ed titled 'Hopes and dreams for Uganda's future', Brown hailed Uganda for its determination to be a stabilizing influence in the region. 

"Unbelievably, the time for me to depart the Pearl of Africa has arrived. In the last of, my tour, it has been a delight to reflect on the 60 years of partnership between the United States and the Ugandan people," she said.