Nimisha Jayant Madhvani is a Ugandan diplomat, she currently serves as Uganda's Ambassador to the United Kingdom. Formerly Uganda's Ambassador to the Nordic countries she was accredited to Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden.
Nimisha Jayant Madhvani | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1959 (age 64–65) |
| Nationality | Ugandan |
| Citizenship | Uganda |
| Occupation(s) | Diplomat and Entrepreneur |
| Years active | 1986 — Present |
| Title | Uganda's Ambassador to the Nordic countries (recalled) |
| Spouse | divorced |
| Relatives | Muljibhai Madhvani (grandfather) Mayur Madhvani (uncle) |
Prior to that, she served as Uganda's Ambassador to United Arab Emirates, and the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).[1]
Before that, she was Uganda's ambassador to France, Spain, Portugal and UNESCO, based in Paris.[2]
Background and education
editShe was born in Uganda in 1959 to Meena Madhvani and Jayant Madhvani, both Ugandan citizens of Indian descent.[3] Jayant was the firstborn of the five sons of Mulji Prabhudas Madhvani (1894–1958), the industrialist, entrepreneur who founded the Madhvani Group of Companies in 1930.[4] Nimisha grew up at the family estate in Kakira, about an hour and one half's drive east of the capital, Kampala. When dictator Idi Amin expelled Ugandan Asians in 1972, she located to the United Kingdom with her family, when she was 13 years old.[3]
Diplomatic career
editWhen the current National Resistance Movement captured power in the 1980s, the Madhvani family returned to Uganda and repossessed their assets.[3] In the 1990s Nimisha joined the Uganda foreign service, first being posted to Washington, D.C., as first secretary to the Ugandan embassy there. In 2007, she was transferred to the Ugandan High Commission in India, based in New Delhi, as the second-in-command.[5] One year later, she was appointed substantive High Commissioner, serving in that capacity from April 2008.[6] While there, she was concurrently accredited to Bangladesh, Bhutan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Thailand.[3]
In the summer of 2014 Nimisha was transferred to the Ugandan embassy in Paris, France, as the Ambassador, serving in that capacity until 2017. While there, she also served as her country's ambassador to Portugal, Spain, BIE, OECD and UNESCO.[7] In January 2017 she was posted to Abu Dhabi as Uganda's ambassador but was later recalled for causing a diplomatic incident between the UAE and Ugandan governments.[8] She was replaced in Paris by Richard Nduhura, who previously was Uganda's permanent representative to the United Nations headquarters in New York City.[7] In November 2018, she posted to Uganda's Embassy Copenhagen, accredited to the Nordic countries, replacing Ambassador Kibedi Zaake Wanume, who was posted to Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates. In 2020 she was recalled back to Kampala after leaked audio emerged of Nimisha Madhvani conspiring with her embassy colleagues to steal and distribute funds allocated to aid displaced Ugandans affected by the Covid-19 global pandemic.
References
edit- ^ Kyatusiimire, Sharon (7 May 2018). "Nimisha Madhvani Appointed Uganda's Representative to IRENA". Kampala: Chimp Reports Uganda. Retrieved 28 November 2018.
- ^ Embassy of Uganda in Paris, France (21 April 2017). "Ambassador Nimisha Madhvani Meets Director General of UNESCO". Embassy of Uganda in Paris, France. Retrieved 28 November 2018.
- ^ a b c d Singh, Shubha (23 April 2008). "Uganda makes a point with Indian origin envoy". Hindustan Times. New Dheli. Retrieved 9 November 2017.
- ^ Odongo, Jacobs (29 July 2008). "From India, Penniless, Madhvani Made A Fortune In Uganda". New Vision. Kampala. Retrieved 9 November 2017.
- ^ TTOI (8 May 2007). "Minister sells Uganda to Gujaratis". The Times of India (TTOI). Mumbai. Retrieved 9 November 2017.
- ^ Statehouse Uganda (12 April 2012). "President mourns Manubhai M. Madhvani". Entebbe: State House Uganda (SHU). Retrieved 9 November 2017.
- ^ a b Vision Reporter (28 April 2017). "I will retire in Uganda - UNESCO Boss". New Vision. Kampala. Retrieved 9 November 2017.
- ^ Kaaya, Sadab Kitatta (16 May 2018). "UAE, Kampala row deepens as Arab country demands apology". The Observer - Uganda. Retrieved 15 March 2021.