The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced the sudden death of Uganda’s Deputy High Commissioner to Rwanda, Santa Laker Kinyera, describing her passing as a profound loss to the country’s diplomatic fraternity.
In a statement released on Tuesday, the ministry said Amb. Kinyera passed away this morning at Mulago National Referral Hospital, where she had been receiving treatment.
“It is with profound shock and sorrow that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announces the passing of our dear colleague Amb. Santa Laker Kinyera,” the statement read.
Amb. Kinyera joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1994 as a career diplomat and steadily rose through the ranks during her three-decade service. Over the years, she held several key assignments both at headquarters and in Uganda’s foreign missions abroad, earning respect for her professionalism, dedication and commitment to advancing Uganda’s foreign policy interests.
At the time of her death, she was serving as Uganda’s Deputy High Commissioner in Kigali, a position in which she played a critical role in strengthening bilateral relations between Kampala and Rwanda. Her work contributed to ongoing efforts to enhance diplomatic engagement, cross-border cooperation and regional integration within the East African Community framework.
Colleagues at the ministry described her as a seasoned diplomat whose institutional memory and mentorship shaped many younger officers in the service. “She was a pillar in the ministry and a guiding light to many of us who joined the Foreign Service after her,” one senior official said.
Amb. Kinyera’s death comes as a major blow to Uganda’s diplomatic corps, particularly at a time when regional diplomacy remains central to the country’s economic and security priorities.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said details regarding funeral arrangements will be communicated in due course.
Further updates are expected as government and family members prepare to pay tribute to the late ambassador.
