Norwegian Embassy in Uganda on spot for offering jobs meant for locals to spouses of its foreign staff

By our reporter

In the aftermath of the public outrage after a local hotel sought to hire White and Indian top management, a whistleblower has revealed that this practice is common even among diplomatic missions and foreign charities who speak loudly against nepotism, discrimination, good governance, transparency among other democratic virtues.

“Segregation”, a source who preferred anonymity to speak freely about the matter says, “Even Norwegians do it”.

A source speaking to this website said the Norwegian embassy in Uganda is famous for hiring people of Swedish origin, close relatives or friends of its foreign staff.

The source told this website that it is common practice for some diplomatic missions to hire spouses, boyfriends or girlfriends of their staff, despite condemning similar practices among organizations they support.

This is a case of preaching of water and drinking wine, said the source at the Embassy.

“This is also contrary to Norway being ranked among the most transparent countries in the world,” she added.

The trusted source says the Norwegian embassy has been doing this including for positions like of receptionist.

For example, a spouse of one Simen Brekke the Administrative Officer at the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Kampala works as a “receptionist” at the same Mission.

The source told this website that Brekke’s spouse landed the job after cleaners at the Embassy were dismissed and the receptionist at the embassy was demoted to cleaner before Brekke’s girl friend was offered the receptionist gig, despite being a half fluent in English for a job that interacts with local people and visitors at the Embassy.

By offering a job to one the staff’s wife, an Ethiopian, meant the process of advertising was actually meaningless or satisfying a procedure since the candidate for the job was already predetermined.

This website understands that “For all positions advertised 3 to 4 years ago, either went to Norwegians or a Nordic or least spouses.

In their job advertisements, the Embassy adds clauses seeking people who speak Norwegian or any Nordic language, which might explain the luck of friends, relatives or nationals of the Embassy, landing those jobs.