KAMPALA, May 10 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations (UN) has withdrawn its proposal to shift its regional service center from Uganda to neighboring Kenya, a government official said on Thursday.
Don Wanyama, presidential spokesperson told Xinhua by telephone that the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has written to Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni about the decision taken.
Wanyama said Uganda's ambassador at the UN Adonia Ayebare also confirmed that the UN will not move its base.
The retraction happens a day after a heated debate in the Ugandan parliament about the proposals to shift the base.
The legislators argued that it would be unfair to Uganda since the country has contributed to various peace missions around Africa and also hosts thousands of refugees from neighboring countries.
Prime Minister Ruhakana Rugunda told the legislators that Museveni had written to Guterres expressing his concern over the proposal.
The base was established at Entebbe International Airport, 40 km south of the capital Kampala after Uganda and the UN signed a memorandum of understanding in July 2010, according to Uganda's foreign ministry.
The ministry said the base is used to provide services to UN field missions in Africa. It currently provides administrative, logistics and information and communications technology services to 13 missions in Africa, representing over 73 percent of all United Nations peacekeeping and special political missions worldwide.
