End-of-term envoys back home

ROSE ATHUMANI

Former Ambassador to Japan Dr Batilda Burian

• Only Dr Burian still in Japan

THE government has brought back envoys and employees in foreign missions whose contracts have expired.

Responding to questions from journalists yesterday, the Head of Communications at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, East Africa, Regional and International Cooperation, Ms Mindi Kasiga, said the process was also underway to bring back Dr Batilda Burian, former Ambassador to Japan, who was the only one remaining.

“All envoys and employees whose contracts had expired are back in the country, except Dr Burian. I don’t have the latest information on her right now, but she should be in the country by now,” she explained.

Last month, the Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs, Security and Defence was told that the government needed more than 30bn/- to bring back its envoys and employees in foreign embassies whose contracts have expired.

“This amount of money is too huge and is not in the ministry’s budget,” Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, East African, Regional and International Cooperation, Ambassador Ramadhan Mwinyi, told the parliamentary committee.

Mr Mwinyi said the 30bn/- is needed to bring back all envoys and employees whose contracts have expired after their usual four-year tour of duty in the foreign missions.

Dr Burian was appointed by former President Jakaya Kikwete early last year as Ambassador to Japan. Prior to the transfer, she served as the country’s High Commissioner in to Kenya. She had also served as Minister of State in the Vice-President’s Office Responsible for Environment and Nominated MP between 2006 and 2010.

She was among the three ambassadors recalled early this year by President John Magufuli, including Dr James Nsekela (Italy) and Mr Peter Kallaghe (Britain).

The contracts for Dr Burian and Dr Nsekela had expired, while Mr Kallaghe had been redeployed to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, East African and Regional and International Cooperation for a new assignment after serving for nearly five years in London.