Former eSwatini honorary consul Quilino Bamwine
Uganda’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) says it received multiple complaints against former honorary consul of eSwatini, Quilino Bamwine, whose appointment was revoked last month over allegations of extortion, fraud, and a criminal land deal.
eSwatini’s ambassador to the African Union, Mahlaba A. Mamba, said Bamwine ignored earlier warnings and continued alleged illicit activities despite repeated interventions by Ugandan authorities.
Mamba added that both government authorities and private individuals had filed “persistent complaints” about Bamwine’s conduct, leaving the eSwatini embassy with no choice but to report the alleged misconduct to Kampala.
A senior official at the MoFA, who is not authorised to speak to the media, confirmed that those concerns are contained in Mamba’s letter dated October 31, 2025.
MoFA Permanent Secretary Vincent Bagiire told Monitor that after receiving complaints about Bamwine’s conduct, the ministry advised the alleged victims to take their cases to law enforcement, emphasizing that Bamwine does not enjoy diplomatic immunity.
“We have received several complaints about his conduct in the past and advised the victims to report their cases to the police since he does not enjoy diplomatic cover that comes with immunity,” Bagiire told Monitor on Monday.
Bamwine did not immediately respond to the allegations, and attempts by this reporter to reach him were unsuccessful by press time Monday night. However, one of his aides, speaking on condition of anonymity, said “Bamwine is aware of the claims and plans to provide a formal response.”
Swaziland was in April 2018 renamed eSwatini by King Mswati, who rules by decree over millions of his subjects, the majority of whom follow the traditional way of life. In 2020, King Mswati III appointed Bamwine, a businessman, as his first consul.
Uganda’s State Minister for Foreign Affairs at the time, Henry Okello Oryem, said that by assuming the role, he became the official representative of eSwatini in Uganda and would be promoting the interests of eSwatini in the East African country.
It was the first time eSwatini was establishing a consulate in Kampala.
What next?
In international law, a consul is an official appointed by a state to reside in a foreign city to protect and assist the interests of the sending state and its nationals, particularly in commercial, legal, and administrative matters. Bamwine, therefore, doesn’t hold diplomatic status.
“The principle is that no one enjoys diplomatic immunity in their own country. As such, Honorary consuls are liable to arrest and prosecution should they offend the law,” PS Bagiire stated. Uganda currently has 52 honorary consuls who represent the interests of foreign states.
Selection of consuls, ‘unknown Bamwine’
A country without a resident embassy may propose an individual to serve as its honorary consul. If the host country has no objections, it will request Uganda’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs to formally recognize the person as its honorary representative.
However, a source at the MoFA says that arrangement is often abused “because they know Ugandans are ignorant.” Several consuls have faced allegations of abusing their official status.
“They will try to pass themselves off as being diplomats by having red number plates with the blue CC circle and even abuse the flying of the flag of that country on their cars. But they are not real diplomats. A full diplomat will have a blue and white Country Diplomat (CD) number plate,” a source at the MoFA said.
Adding: “Because these countries don’t have patience for scandals, if you indulge in any, they strip you of their name and get another person.
Katatumba was the honorary consul of Pakistan for decades, but when he died, his daughter started calling herself the honorary consul, Pakistan said no, and went ahead to open a full-fledged Embassy in Kampala.”
“Mulwana was an honorary consul of Thailand, but when he died, Thailand had been so satisfied with his services that they had no objection to his daughter (Barbra) taking on the office.”
Despite serving as an honorary consul for five years, Bamwine is widely unknown to officials at the MoFA.
“I had never heard of him until he authored an op-ed, suggesting that honorary consuls should replace real diplomats. That was after President Museveni suggested that we use Embassies,” a senior official at the MoFA said, adding: “Most are businessmen who have politician friends.”